Foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia
Settles in as a weed-suppressing carpet 1–2 ft wide, no taller than 6–12 in, and it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Apr–May
- Home
- Collections
- Groundcovers
Collection
Native Groundcover Plants
Low, spreading natives that knit together to cover bare ground, smother weeds, and replace thirsty lawn or mulch.
Tip: open your state below for the version of this list filtered to plants native to your region and hardy in your zone.
The plants
15 native species in this collection.
A living native groundcover does everything mulch does and then keeps doing it for free — covering soil, blocking weeds, and feeding wildlife as it goes. Match the spreader to the site (sun or shade, wet or dry), plant on tight centers so they close ranks in a season or two, and weed faithfully that first year while they fill in.
Prairie Smoke
Geum triflorum
Spreads low — 6–16 in tall, 12–18 in wide — to knit bare ground and smother weeds, flowering as it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 6–16 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
Carpets bare soil 1.5–2 ft wide to replace thirsty lawn or mulch, happy in loam soil; it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Woodland Phlox
Phlox divaricata
A low 10–15 in-tall carpet that closes ranks 12–18 in wide and shades out weeds, flowering as it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 10–15 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Settles in as a weed-suppressing carpet 1.5–2 ft wide, no taller than 1.5–3 ft, flowering as it blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Gregg's Mistflower
Conoclinium greggii
Settles in as a weed-suppressing carpet 1.5–3 ft wide, no taller than 1–2 ft; it blooms May through Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms May–Oct
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Runs 5–10 ft wide and stays ankle-low at 2–6 ft, holding soil where lawn won't — it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Bearberry
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
A low 4–8 in-tall carpet that closes ranks 3–6 ft wide and shades out weeds — it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Creeping Phlox
Phlox subulata
Settles in as a weed-suppressing carpet 1.5–2 ft wide, no taller than 4–8 in, and it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Wild Ginger
Asarum canadense
Weaves a 4–8 in-tall mat 12–18 in across to blanket bare ground, cold-hardy to zone 3 — it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Blue Grama
Bouteloua gracilis
A low 8–20 in-tall carpet that closes ranks 8–16 in wide and shades out weeds — it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 8–20 in
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Spreads low — 30–50 ft tall, 10–20 ft wide — to knit bare ground and smother weeds; it flowers in Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Christmas Fern
Polystichum acrostichoides
Carpets bare soil 1.5–2.5 ft wide to replace thirsty lawn or mulch, good through zone 9.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2 ft
- Evergreen
Pennsylvania Sedge
Carex pensylvanica
Settles in as a weed-suppressing carpet 1–2 ft wide, no taller than 6–12 in.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 6–12 in
- Foliage
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
Knits across the ground 2–3 ft wide and just 2–3 ft tall, no mowing needed.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Fall color
Browse by state
Groundcovers, near you.
Native ranges differ across the country — open your state for the list that actually applies to your yard.
AlabamaALArizonaAZArkansasARCaliforniaCAColoradoCOConnecticutCTDelawareDEFloridaFLGeorgiaGAIdahoIDIllinoisILIndianaINIowaIAKansasKSKentuckyKYLouisianaLAMaineMEMarylandMDMassachusettsMAMichiganMIMinnesotaMNMississippiMSMissouriMOMontanaMTNebraskaNENevadaNVNew HampshireNHNew JerseyNJNew MexicoNMNew YorkNYNorth CarolinaNCNorth DakotaNDOhioOHOklahomaOKPennsylvaniaPARhode IslandRISouth CarolinaSCSouth DakotaSDTennesseeTNTexasTXUtahUTVermontVTVirginiaVAWashington, D.C.DCWest VirginiaWVWisconsinWIWyomingWY
Sourcing
Where to find groundcovers plants
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.