Ground Cover Plants

All too often excellent ground cover plants are not used because landscape designers and home gardeners feel that taller varieties do not capture the role of this type of perennial plant.

However, over the years some of best uses of this plant type that I have seen have been varieties of 24" and up in size.

When traveling I always take note of the various species that are being used and see no reason why the spectrum of ground cover plants can not be increased wherever you live.

The following is a partial list of quality plants that can and should be used as ground covers.

Ornamental Perennials

• Acanthus (Bear's Breech)
• Achillea (Yarrow, Milfoil)
• Acorus (Sweet Flag)
• Aegopodium (Bishop's Weed, Goutweed, Ground Elder)
• Ajuga (Bugleweed)
• Alyssum
• Antennaria
• Arenaria (Sandwort)
• Aristolachia (Birthwort, Dutchman's Pipe)
• Armeria (Thrift, Sea Pink)
• Artemisia (Wormwood)
• Asarum (Wild Ginger)
• Aubrieta
• Aurinia (Basket of Gold)
• Bergenia
• Brunnera
• Calylophus
• Campanula (Bellflower)
• Cerastium
• Ceratostigma (Plumbago, Leadwort)
• Chamaemelum
• Chrysogonum
• Clematis
• Convallaria (Lily-Of-The-Valley)
• Coronilla (Crownvetch)
• Cyclamen
• Decumaria (Wood Vamp)
• Delosperma (Hardy Ice Plant)
• Deutzia
• Dianthus
• Duchesnea (Aztec Indian Berry, False Strawberry)
• Ephedra (Joint Fir)
• Erigeron (Fleabane)
• Euonymus
• Euphorbia (Spurge)
• Fallopia (Polygonum)
• Ficus
• Fragaria (Strawberry)
• Galium (Sweet Woodruff)
• Geranium (Crane's Bill)
• Glechoma (Ground Ivy)
• Gynura
• Gypsophila (Baby's Breath)
• Hedera (Ivy)
• Helianthemum (Sun or Rock Rose)
• Helleborus (Lenten Rose)
• Hemerocallis (Daylily)
• Herniaria (Rupturewort)
• Heuchera (Coral Bells, Alumroot)
• Hosta (Funkia)
• Houttuynia
• Hydrocotyle
• Hypericum (St. John's Wort)
• Iberis (Candytuft)
• Ipomoea (Bush Morning-glory, Old Man of the Prarie)
• Lamiastrum
• Lamium (Dead Nettle)
• Lathyrus (Sweet Pea)
• Laurentia
• Leontopodium (Edelweiss)
• Liriope (Lilyturf)
• Lonicera (Honeysuckle)
• Lotus
• Lysimachia
• Marrubium (Horehound)
• Mazus
• Minuartia (Irish Moss)
• Nepeta (Catmint)
• Oenanthe
• Oenothera (Evening Primrose, Sundrops)
• Ophiopogon (Lilyturf, Mondo Grass)
• Pachysandra (Spurge)
• Parthenocissus (Woodbine)
• Persicaria (Polygonum)
• Phlox
• Pinellia
• Potentilla (Cinquefoil, Five Finger)
• Prunella (Self Heal)
• Pulmonaria (Lungwort)
• Ranunculus (Buttercup, Crowsfoot)
• Rosa
• Rosularia
• Sagina (Pearlwort)
• Saponaria (Soapwort)
• Saxifraga (Rockfoil)
• Scutellaria (Skull Cap, Helmet Flower)
• Sedum (Stonecrop)
• Sempervivum (Hen and Chicks)
• Silene (Campion, Catchfly)
• Solanum (Nightshade)
• Soleirolia
• Sphaeralcea (Prairie, Red False Mallow)
• Spirea
• Stachys (Betony, Woundwort)
• Symphytum (Comfrey)
• Teucrium (Gemander)
• Thymus (Thyme)
• Tiarella (false Miterwort)
• Trifolium (Clover)
• Triglochin (Arrow Grass)
• Veronica (Speedwell)
• Vinca (Periwinkle)
• Viola (Violet)
• Vitis (Grape)
• Verbena (Vervain)

Ferns-All Varieties

Grasses

• Bouteloua (Grama Grass)
• Buchloe (Buffalo Grass)
• Carex (Sedge)
• Equisetum (Horsetail, Scouring Rush)
• Imperata (Grass)
• Juncus (Rush)
• Miscanthus (Grass)
• Oplismenas (Grass)
• Panicum (Switchgrass)
• Phlaris (Grass)
• Waldsteinia (Grass)

Herbs

• Helichrysum (Curry)
• Lippia
• Melissa (Lemon Balm)
• Mentha (Mint)
• Thymus (Thyme)