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!
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Salvia koyamae
Item #: 1269
Zones: 4b to 10b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Japan
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Salvia 'Smokey Jazz' PP 33,224
Item #: 17866
Zones: 7b to 9b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Salvia x sylvestris 'Violet Riot' PP 26,273
Item #: 10370
Zones: 4a to 8a
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Salvia uliginosa
Item #: 1091
Zones: 6a to 10b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 55" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sanguisorba officinalis var. microcephala 'Little Angel'
Item #: 12733
Zones: 4a to 8b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 7" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Europe, United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sarcococca hookeriana var. digyna 'Purple Stem'
Item #: 8597
Zones: 6a to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Shade
Origin: Himalayan Mountains
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Saxifraga stolonifera 'Nezu Jinja'
Item #: 11494
Zones: 3a to 9b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 5" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Shade
Origin: Eastern Asia
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Scutellaria suffrutescens 'Texas Rose'
Item #: 2192
Zones: 7a to 9b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 8" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per
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Sedum bithynicum
Item #: 2798
Zones: 5a to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 3" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Turkey
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sedum 'Firecracker' PP 26,595
Item #: 12731
Zones: 4a to 8b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 3" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold outSedum palmeri 'Mendoza'
Item #: 5727
Zones: 7b to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 8" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sedum tetractinum 'Little China'
Item #: 11758
Zones: 4a to 8b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 3" tall
Culture: Sun to Light Shade
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Selaginella apoda
Item #: 7655
Zones: 5a to 9b, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 2" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per
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Selaginella bigelovii 'Isabella'
Item #: 17691
Zones: 7b to 9b, possibly much colder
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 6" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $24.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Selaginella borealis
Item #: 5120
Zones: 3a to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 2" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Japan
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $26.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Selaginella braunii
Item #: 1506
Zones: 6a to 9b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Shade
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $24.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Selaginella ludoviciana 'Avery Island'
Item #: 18276
Zones: 7b to 9b, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 2" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Selaginella moellendorffii
Item #: 3228
Zones: 7a to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 5" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Shade
Origin: Asia
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Selaginella uncinata
Item #: 1451
Zones: 6a to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 6" 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 -
Sisyrinchium nashii 'Suwannee'
Item #: 4789
Zones: 6a to 9b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 8" tall
Culture: Sun to Light Shade
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Solidago sp. nov. 'Montana Minnie'
Item #: 15762
Zones: 4a to 8a, guessing
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 3" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold outSpigelia marilandica 'Ragin Cajun'
Item #: 8718
Zones: 5a to 9b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 20" tall
Culture: Sun to Light Shade
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $28.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Stellaria pubera 'Chick-a-boom'
Item #: 16629
Zones: 6a to 9a, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
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 $22.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Symphyotrichum ericoides 'Pink Star'
Item #: 4216
Zones: 3a to 8b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $22.00Regular 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.