Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
Settles in as a weed-suppressing carpet 1.5–2 ft wide, no taller than 1.5–2 ft; it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
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- Groundcovers
Massachusetts · Zones 5–7
Native Groundcover Plants in Massachusetts
Low, spreading natives that knit together to cover bare ground, smother weeds, and replace thirsty lawn or mulch. For Massachusetts, the right natives are shaped by Northeastern Coastal Forest & Cape and a cool, humid continental climate. Every species below, from Wild Geranium and Woodland Phlox to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Massachusetts and the wider flora of the Northeast 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
12 native species for Massachusetts
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–7 · see this collection in other states.
Woodland Phlox
Phlox divaricata
Carpets bare soil 12–18 in wide to replace thirsty lawn or mulch, for loam ground, flowering as it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 10–15 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
A low 1.5–3 ft-tall carpet that closes ranks 1.5–2 ft wide and shades out weeds, and it blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia
Settles in as a weed-suppressing carpet 1–2 ft wide, no taller than 6–12 in, flowering as it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Apr–May
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
Spreads low — 4–8 in tall, 1.5–2 ft wide — to knit bare ground and smother weeds — it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Wild Ginger
Asarum canadense
Spreads low — 4–8 in tall, 12–18 in wide — to knit bare ground and smother weeds, and it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Carpets bare soil 10–20 ft wide to replace thirsty lawn or mulch, happy in clay, rocky, and loam soil; it flowers in Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Weaves a 2–6 ft-tall mat 5–10 ft across to blanket bare ground, yellow catkins flowers — it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
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
Weaves a 6–12 in-tall mat 1–2 ft across to blanket bare ground, for rocky and loam ground.
- 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
Sourcing
Where to find these in Massachusetts
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.