Low, spreading natives that knit together to cover bare ground, smother weeds, and replace thirsty lawn or mulch. Texas sits in a landscape of Hill Country, Blackland Prairie & Gulf Coast, and the natives that thrive here are the ones built for its hot, dry west to humid east character. The list below — led by Gregg's Mistflower and Prairie Smoke — is filtered to species genuinely native to Texas and the wider flora of the South-Central region and hardy through zones 6–9. 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.
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 6–9 · see this collection in other states.
Conoclinium greggii
Through Texas's Hill Country, Blackland Prairie & Gulf Coast country, carpets bare soil 1.5–3 ft wide to replace thirsty lawn or mulch, for sand, rocky, and loam ground, flowering as it blooms May through Oct.
Geum triflorum
Through Texas's Hill Country, Blackland Prairie & Gulf Coast country, settles in as a weed-suppressing carpet 12–18 in wide, no taller than 6–16 in, and it flowers in Apr and May.
Tiarella cordifolia
Through Texas's Hill Country, Blackland Prairie & Gulf Coast country, a mat-forming native, 6–12 in tall and 1–2 ft wide, that fills in and crowds out weeds, and it flowers in Apr and May.
Geranium maculatum
Through Texas's Hill Country, Blackland Prairie & Gulf Coast country, knits across the ground 1.5–2 ft wide and just 1.5–2 ft tall, no mowing needed; it blooms Apr through Jun.
Phlox divaricata
Through Texas's Hill Country, Blackland Prairie & Gulf Coast country, runs 12–18 in wide and stays ankle-low at 10–15 in, holding soil where lawn won't; it flowers in Apr and May.
Achillea millefolium
Through Texas's Hill Country, Blackland Prairie & Gulf Coast country, carpets bare soil 1.5–2 ft wide to replace thirsty lawn or mulch, good through zone 9, flowering as it blooms May through Aug.
Rhus aromatica
Through Texas's Hill Country, Blackland Prairie & Gulf Coast country, carpets bare soil 5–10 ft wide to replace thirsty lawn or mulch, good through zone 9, and it flowers in Mar and Apr.
Asarum canadense
Through Texas's Hill Country, Blackland Prairie & Gulf Coast country, a low 4–8 in-tall carpet that closes ranks 12–18 in wide and shades out weeds, and it flowers in Apr and May.
Bouteloua gracilis
Through Texas's Hill Country, Blackland Prairie & Gulf Coast country, a living mulch at 8–20 in tall, fanning 8–16 in wide to cover soil and block weeds; it blooms Jun through Aug.
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Through Texas's Hill Country, Blackland Prairie & Gulf Coast country, weaves a 30–50 ft-tall mat 10–20 ft across to blanket bare ground, happy in clay, rocky, and loam soil, flowering as it flowers in Jun.
Phlox subulata
Through Texas's Hill Country, Blackland Prairie & Gulf Coast country, weaves a 4–8 in-tall mat 1.5–2 ft across to blanket bare ground, happy in sand, rocky, and loam soil — it flowers in Apr and May.
Polystichum acrostichoides
Through Texas's Hill Country, Blackland Prairie & Gulf Coast country, knits across the ground 1.5–2.5 ft wide and just 1–2 ft tall, no mowing needed.
Sporobolus heterolepis
Through Texas's Hill Country, Blackland Prairie & Gulf Coast country, runs 2–3 ft wide and stays ankle-low at 2–3 ft, holding soil where lawn won't.
Carex pensylvanica
Through Texas's Hill Country, Blackland Prairie & Gulf Coast country, knits across the ground 1–2 ft wide and just 6–12 in tall, no mowing needed.
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.