Ground Covering Plants

Looking for a low-maintenance garden trick? Try ground covering plants to reduce
​the time and effort needed to make an attractive yard.

Ground Covers for Yards and Gardens

Flowering plant of a vinca ground cover.
​Homeowners who have large grounds to take care of often seek ways to reduce maintenance and also make their yards more attractive. Low growing plants may be the solution for some garden areas. Wider use of ground covers can lead to less time in routine yard chores and create a beautiful expanse of growing plants.
There are a wide variety of ground covering plants to choose from. Your local garden center can help you to choose the best for your region and soil type. ​Most ground cover plants have three traits in common:
  • Low growing plants hug the soil.
  • Roots and runners bind the soil firmly.
  • Well-established ground covers practically take care of themselves.
 The types of plants that make good ground covers have one additional bonus. These plants often succeed in places where it’s difficult or nearly impossible to get other plants to survive.
 
Planting Ground Covering Plants
To cover soil areas evenly, you will need about one plant per square foot. However, shrubby plants such as juniper will need more space. If possible, start with clumps from another older planting. Break the roots into as many divisions as possible.
  1. Prepare the soil by turning and loosening.
  2. Add a generous amount of compost.
  3. Fertilize with a natural fertilizer, 12-12-12.
  4. Water thoroughly.
If the ground cover is planted on a hillside, create rows that follow the contour of the slope. Make a small depression around the base of each plant to retain water
 
Useful Plants for Ground Covers
Periwinkle (Vinca) An evergreen trailer. Puts out roots at every stem.
Lily-of-the-Valley  Grows in even very heavy shade areas.
Pachysandra  An evergreen that spreads rapidly by runners.
Honeysuckle  Excellent ground covers for banks and slopes, sun or shade.
Wild Ginger  Grows best in moist shady spots. Spreads by creeping root stocks.
Creeping Juniper Only 12 inches in height, each shrubby growth spreads out up to 8 feet.
Hypericum   Two- to Three-foot shrubs. Evergreen with bright yellow flowers.
English Ivy  Low and spreading. Water early in the mornings for best results.
Stonecrop  A mat-forming succulent, endures drought and hot sun.
 
Getting a Good Coverage of Plants
When planting, space plants about 12 inches apart. It will most likely take at least one season of growth for the plants to merge. Before the spaces close up, it is important to keep the area weed free. Use a good thick mulch to avoid the weeds. This will also help prevent soil erosion. After plants are well established, they will converge and appear thickly matted. At this point you may take cuttings or divisions to plant in other areas. Every five or six years, ground covers usually benefit from thinning or dividing.
Auther: Karla Beatty
​Ground covers can reduce the amount of time and work needed in a garden or yard. They are typically low maintenance and help make homes and yards more attractive. Self-spreading ground covers require little more than admiration and enjoyment.
Read more about organic gardening practices and the environment.

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