Prairie Smoke
Geum triflorum
In Kansas's Flint Hills & mixedgrass prairie, a low 6–16 in-tall carpet that closes ranks 12–18 in wide and shades out weeds, flowering as it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 6–16 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Kansas · Zones 5–7
Native Groundcover Plants in Kansas
Low, spreading natives that knit together to cover bare ground, smother weeds, and replace thirsty lawn or mulch. For Kansas, the right natives are shaped by Flint Hills & mixedgrass prairie and a continental, windy, semi-arid west climate. Every species below, from Prairie Smoke and Common Yarrow to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Kansas and the wider flora of the Great Plains and hardy through zones 5–7. 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.
The plants
6 native species for Kansas
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–7 · see this collection in other states.
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
In Kansas's Flint Hills & mixedgrass prairie, a mat-forming native, 1.5–3 ft tall and 1.5–2 ft wide, that fills in and crowds out weeds; it blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
In Kansas's Flint Hills & mixedgrass prairie, weaves a 2–6 ft-tall mat 5–10 ft across to blanket bare ground, for sand, clay, rocky, and loam ground, flowering as it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
In Kansas's Flint Hills & mixedgrass prairie, spreads low — 30–50 ft tall, 10–20 ft wide — to knit bare ground and smother weeds, and it flowers in Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Blue Grama
Bouteloua gracilis
In Kansas's Flint Hills & mixedgrass prairie, weaves a 8–20 in-tall mat 8–16 in across to blanket bare ground, cold-hardy to zone 3, flowering as it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 8–20 in
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
In Kansas's Flint Hills & mixedgrass prairie, a living mulch at 2–3 ft tall, fanning 2–3 ft wide to cover soil and block weeds.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Fall color
Sourcing
Where to find these in Kansas
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.