Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
A living mulch at 1.5–3 ft tall, fanning 1.5–2 ft wide to cover soil and block weeds, flowering as it blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Kentucky · Zones 6–7
Native Groundcover Plants in Kentucky
Low, spreading natives that knit together to cover bare ground, smother weeds, and replace thirsty lawn or mulch. For Kentucky, the right natives are shaped by Bluegrass, Cumberland Plateau & Pennyroyal and a humid, four-season climate. Every species below, from Common Yarrow and Prairie Smoke to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Kentucky and the wider flora of the Southeast and hardy through zones 6–7. 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
13 native species for Kentucky
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 6–7 · see this collection in other states.
Prairie Smoke
Geum triflorum
Settles in as a weed-suppressing carpet 12–18 in wide, no taller than 6–16 in, flowering as it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 6–16 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Woodland Phlox
Phlox divaricata
Carpets bare soil 12–18 in wide to replace thirsty lawn or mulch, hardy in zones 3–8, and it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 10–15 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia
Runs 1–2 ft wide and stays ankle-low at 6–12 in, holding soil where lawn won't — it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
A living mulch at 1.5–2 ft tall, fanning 1.5–2 ft wide to cover soil and block weeds, flowering as it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Bearberry
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
A living mulch at 4–8 in tall, fanning 3–6 ft wide to cover soil and block weeds, flowering as it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
A mat-forming native, 2–6 ft tall and 5–10 ft wide, that fills in and crowds out weeds, flowering as it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Wild Ginger
Asarum canadense
Runs 12–18 in wide and stays ankle-low at 4–8 in, holding soil where lawn won't — it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
A living mulch at 30–50 ft tall, fanning 10–20 ft wide to cover soil and block weeds; it flowers in Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Creeping Phlox
Phlox subulata
A living mulch at 4–8 in tall, fanning 1.5–2 ft wide to cover soil and block weeds, flowering as it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Christmas Fern
Polystichum acrostichoides
Runs 1.5–2.5 ft wide and stays ankle-low at 1–2 ft, holding soil where lawn won't.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2 ft
- Evergreen
Pennsylvania Sedge
Carex pensylvanica
A low 6–12 in-tall carpet that closes ranks 1–2 ft wide and shades out weeds.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 6–12 in
- Foliage
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
Runs 2–3 ft wide and stays ankle-low at 2–3 ft, holding soil where lawn won't.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Fall color
Sourcing
Where to find these in Kentucky
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.