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Nevada · Zones 4–9

Native Groundcover Plants in Nevada

Low, spreading natives that knit together to cover bare ground, smother weeds, and replace thirsty lawn or mulch. Every species here is genuinely native to Nevada and the wider flora of the Great Basin and hardy through zones 4–9 — proven performers for Nevada's arid, wide day-night swings climate across Great Basin sagebrush & Mojave, not a generic list. Local standouts include Prairie Smoke and Common Yarrow. 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

5 native species for Nevada

Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 4–9 · see this collection in other states.

Perennial wildflower

Prairie Smoke

Geum triflorum

In Nevada's Great Basin sagebrush & Mojave, runs 12–18 in wide and stays ankle-low at 6–16 in, holding soil where lawn won't, and it flowers in Apr and May.

  • Full–part sun
  • Dry
  • 6–16 in
  • Blooms Apr–May
Perennial wildflower

Common Yarrow

Achillea millefolium

In Nevada's Great Basin sagebrush & Mojave, weaves a 1.5–3 ft-tall mat 1.5–2 ft across to blanket bare ground, happy in sand, clay, rocky, and loam soil, and it blooms May through Aug.

  • Full sun
  • Dry–average
  • 1.5–3 ft
  • Blooms May–Aug
Perennial wildflower

Gregg's Mistflower

Conoclinium greggii

In Nevada's Great Basin sagebrush & Mojave, 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
Evergreen groundcover

Bearberry

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

In Nevada's Great Basin sagebrush & Mojave, runs 3–6 ft wide and stays ankle-low at 4–8 in, holding soil where lawn won't; it flowers in Apr and May.

  • Full–part sun
  • Dry
  • 4–8 in
  • Blooms Apr–May
Ornamental grass

Blue Grama

Bouteloua gracilis

In Nevada's Great Basin sagebrush & Mojave, runs 8–16 in wide and stays ankle-low at 8–20 in, holding soil where lawn won't — it blooms Jun through Aug.

  • Full sun
  • Dry
  • 8–20 in
  • Blooms Jun–Aug
Sourcing

Where to find these in Nevada

Seeds & live plants on Amazon

Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.

Browse on Amazon

Some 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.