Many perennials can also be considered groundcovers. Certainly, low-growing spreading plants are groundcovers but so are clumping, non-spreading plants that look nice when grown in large groups. Check out our huge selection of the best groundcovers for shade or sun. Low maintenance and tough!
-
Hosta 'Twice as Mice'
Item #: 13304
Zones: 3a to 8b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 5" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 2 qt. (1.9 L)
Regular price $32.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Hosta 'Uptown Girl'
Item #: 5215
Zones: 3a to 9b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 2 qt. (1.9 L)
Regular price $32.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Hosta 'Vanilla Bean'
Item #: 10527
Zones: 3a to 8b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 4" tall
Culture: Light Shade
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $35.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Hosta 'Viking Sunshine'
Item #: 13309
Zones: 3a to 8b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 10" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 2 qt. (1.9 L)
Regular price $30.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Hosta 'Voices in the Wind' PP 33,265
Item #: 16835
Zones: 3a to 8b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3 qt. (2.8 L)
Regular price $29.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Hosta 'Waterslide' PP 30,303
Item #: 12697
Zones: 3a to 8b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 16" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 2 qt. (1.9 L)
Regular price $29.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Hosta 'Wheee!' PP 23,565
Item #: 9485
Zones: 3a to 8b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Light Shade
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 2 qt. (1.9 L)
Regular price $29.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Hosta 'Wild Imagination' PP 34,269
Item #: 17268
Zones: 3a to 8b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 22" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 2 qt. (1.9 L)
Regular price $30.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Hosta 'Wind beneath My Wings' PP 33,317
Item #: 15968
Zones: 3a to 8b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 30" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3 qt. (2.8 L)
Regular price $29.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Hosta 'Wu-La-La' PP 31,309
Item #: 14305
Zones: 3a to 8b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3 qt. (2.8 L)
Regular price $30.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold out
Houstonia procumbens 'White Clay'
Item #: 13745
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 1" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price perNext crop available: 06/14/2024Sold out -
Hymenocallis duvalensis 'Apalachicola Angel'
Item #: 17191
Zones: 7b to 10b, possibly colder
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 16" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $30.00Regular priceUnit price perNext crop available: 06/18/2027Sold out -
Impatiens omeiana 'Silver Pinkster'
Item #: 16640
Zones: 5b to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 8" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Indigofera kirilowii 'Christo'
Item #: 674
Zones: 4b to 8b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Ionactis linariifolia 'Little Stiffy'
Item #: 5763
Zones: 4a to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Ipheion peregrinans 'Rolf Fiedler'
Item #: 5268
Zones: 7a to 10b
Dormancy: Summer, Fall
Height: 5" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Uruguay
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Iris x ampliflora 'Ming Treasure'
Item #: 17217
Zones: 6b to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 60" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $29.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold out
Iris cristata 'Eco Orchid Giant'
Item #: 17856
Zones: 3a to 8b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 5" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Shade
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $25.00Regular priceUnit price perNext crop available: 05/31/2024Sold out -
Iris cristata 'Eco White Angel'
Item #: 6995
Zones: 3a to 8b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 6" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Iris cristata 'Mountain Girl'
Item #: 10784
Zones: 3a to 8b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 6" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Iris cristata 'Powder Blue Giant'
Item #: 2592
Zones: 3a to 8b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Shade
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Iris cristata 'Vein Mountain'
Item #: 4073
Zones: 3a to 8b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold out
Iris japonica 'Eco Easter'
Item #: 5768
Zones: 7a to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Light Shade to Shade
Origin: China, Japan
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $25.00Regular priceUnit price perNext crop available: 06/14/2024Sold out -
Iris japonica 'Porcelain Maiden'
Item #: 9990
Zones: 7a to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Light Shade to Shade
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per
More Information About Groundcovers
What Is a Groundcover Plant?
There are a lot of plants can be considered perennial groundcovers. Certainly, low-growing spreading plants are groundcovers but so are clumping, non-spreading plants that look nice when grown in large groups. Flowering groundcovers cover large open areas of garden, help prevent erosion, suppress weeds, reduce soil water loss through evaporation, and with proper plant selection, they look great while doing it. Plus, they reduce your need for mulch, which is nice because who likes spreading mulch all over the place every year?
Garden Design With Ground Cover Perennials
- Flowering ground cover plants are an interesting alternative to conventional lawns if you do not walk on them too often.
- In woodland areas, where turf will not grow, you should use ground covers for shade.
- You can grow ground covers in between patio pavers and along paths and over the tops of stone walls to soften the edges of the stones.
- Hill sides that are hard to access and tough to maintain should be planted with ground cover perennials to minimize erosion and still look manicured. Especially drought tolerant groundcovers.
- In open spaces try growing taller flowering perennials that push up through your ground covers for a two-layered effect.
What Are the Best Ground Cover Perennials?
If all you can find at your local garden center are the ubiquitous vincas and ivies, check out our rare and unique perennials that make good tough ground cover plants. Below are some ground covers that we especially like.
Best Ground Covers for Shade:
- Carex - Evergreen ground cover for shade with grassy texture. several variegated forms to choose from.
- Hardy ferns - Shade ground cover with great texture for the shade garden.
- Woodland phlox - Beautiful blue flowers in spring. Spreads around by seed into a groundcover for shade.
- Ophiopogon (mondo grasses) - Dwarf varieties are great in-between pavers.
- Hosta - Always a classic ground cover for shade!
Best Ground Covers for Sun
- Dianthus (carnation) - Blue foliage (some varieties) and colorful, clove scented flowers.
- Sedum (stonecrop) - Drought tolerant succulent looks great draping over walls. We love sedum as a ground cover.
- Liriope (monkey grass) - Tough as nails and easy to maintain. Great, drought-tolerant ground cover for sun, part-sun, or shade.
- Verbena (vervain) - Fantastic hardy perennial and flowering ground cover that attracts butterflies.
- Delosperma (ice plant) - Colorful flowering ground cover succulent that is hard to beat as a full sun ground cover.
- Muhlenbergia (muhly grass) - Fine textured ornamental grass that is tough, dear resistant, and looks great growing in mass.
- Laurentia (blue star creeper) - Low growing, herbaceous ground cover with teeny tiny leaves topped with teeny tiny blue flowers...cute as a button.
Be sure to check out our many blog posts about groundcovers at the Juniper Level Botanic Garden blog.