Prairie Smoke
Geum triflorum
Runs 12–18 in wide and stays ankle-low at 6–16 in, holding soil where lawn won't — it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 6–16 in
- Blooms Apr–May
- Home
- By state
- New Mexico
- Groundcovers
New Mexico · Zones 4–8
Native Groundcover Plants in New Mexico
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 New Mexico and the wider flora of the desert Southwest and hardy through zones 4–8 — proven performers for New Mexico's arid, high-elevation sun climate across Chihuahuan desert & Southern Rockies, not a generic list. Local standouts include Prairie Smoke and Gregg's Mistflower. 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
8 native species for New Mexico
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 4–8 · see this collection in other states.
Gregg's Mistflower
Conoclinium greggii
Weaves a 1–2 ft-tall mat 1.5–3 ft across to blanket bare ground, good through zone 10; it blooms May through Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms May–Oct
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; it blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Knits across the ground 10–20 ft wide and just 30–50 ft tall, no mowing needed — it flowers in Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Blue Grama
Bouteloua gracilis
Spreads low — 8–20 in tall, 8–16 in wide — to knit bare ground and smother weeds, and it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 8–20 in
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Bearberry
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Spreads low — 4–8 in tall, 3–6 ft wide — to knit bare ground and smother weeds — it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Settles in as a weed-suppressing carpet 5–10 ft wide, no taller than 2–6 ft, flowering as it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
A mat-forming native, 2–3 ft tall and 2–3 ft wide, that fills in and crowds out weeds.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Fall color
Sourcing
Where to find these in New Mexico
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.