The "best" ground cover depends heavily on your specific growing conditions (e.g., foot traffic, sunlight, and climate). Top regional performers for Southern California include Kurapia (highly drought-tolerant, low-maintenance, and perfect for large areas) and Creeping Thyme (fragrant, handles light foot traffic, and attracts pollinators).
Thymus serpyllum is the ultimate low-maintenance ground cover. It doesn't require mowing, is loaded with delightful flowers, is nicely drought-tolerant, and is resistant to many pests and diseases. It's even happy in soil conditions where other plants might not thrive.
While creeping phlox is a beautiful, low-maintenance ground cover, its main downsides are a short, 3-to-4 week bloom time, vulnerability to fungal diseases like powdery mildew in damp conditions, and a susceptibility to spider mites in hot, dry weather. It also does not handle heavy foot traffic well.
The best ground cover plant to stop weeds depends on your specific growing conditions, as these act as "living mulch" by blocking sunlight and outcompeting weed seeds. The most effective options vary by their sunlight requirements:
CARPATHIAN BELLFLOWER (Campanula carpatica)
This long-blooming, easy-to-grow perennial creates a colorful carpet of violet-blue flowers that last through most of the summer, rising above tidy mounds of dark green foliage. Especially well-suited as a ground cover in rock gardens, borders, and mass plantings.
Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia), Yellow Archangel (Lamiastrum galeobdolon), and certain mint varieties are among the absolute fastest-spreading ground covers. These plants can easily spread up to 2 feet in a single season.
True 365-day bloomers are rare, but several plants can provide nearly 12 months of flowers under ideal conditions. The best options depend on whether you are growing them indoors or outdoors:
Fast-growing ground covers outcompete weeds by quickly forming a dense, living mulch that blocks sunlight and absorbs soil nutrients. Top choices for sunny areas include Creeping Thyme and Creeping Phlox, while Bugleweed (Ajuga) and Periwinkle (Vinca) excel in shady spots.
Groundcover plants are classified as invasive on a local, state, or federal level because they not only take over home landscapes but also escape into natural lands, outcompeting native plants and altering the ecosystem.
The best groundcover plants are the ones placed in the right spot. Groundcovers aren't much different from other vegetation. They need hardiness to suit your climatic zone or microclimate. You need to select plants for the available amount of light and provide them with proper soil conditions.
The best time to plant creeping phlox is early spring (March to April) or early fall (September to October), when temperatures are cool and the soil is workable. Fall is generally preferred to allow roots to establish before spring, but spring planting works well as long as it is done after the last hard frost.
In the winter, creeping phlox typically looks like a dormant, low-lying mat of dry, mossy foliage. Because its hardiness ranges across different climates, its exact winter appearance varies slightly:
Some types of no-mow grass alternatives include clover, wildflowers and native plants, moss, groundcovers, succulents, and xeriscaping. Many of these options are also low-maintenance when it comes to things like fertilization and watering.
The "rule of 3" in landscaping is a design principle stating that grouping elements in odd numbers—specifically threes—creates a more natural, balanced, and visually appealing space than pairs or even-numbered arrangements.
Kudzu (Pueraria montana) is widely considered the most invasive ground cover, famously known as "the plant that ate the South". It grows up to 1 foot per day, blanketing everything in its path and killing trees and native vegetation. Several other aggressive, fast-spreading ground covers pose severe threats to ecosystems:
The best low-maintenance ground cover depends on your specific sunlight and traffic needs. Top performers like Creeping Thyme, Kurapia, and Pennsylvania Sedge offer lush coverage while requiring significantly less water, fertilizer, and mowing than traditional lawns.
“The dense foliage creates humid, shaded conditions beneath it, which can attract pests like mosquitoes, as well as common plant invaders such as mealybugs and spider mites.”
Here are some of the most common landscaping mistakes and how to avoid them, along with how to create a beautiful garden in your own yard.
To stop weeds from growing in your soil, apply a 2 to 3-inch layer of organic mulch (like shredded bark or compost) to block sunlight. For ultimate weed prevention, lay down a barrier of cardboard or newspaper directly on the soil before adding the mulch.
To kill weeds without harming your ground cover, use targeted methods that avoid chemical drift. Hand-pulling, paint-brushing systemic herbicides directly on weed leaves, or careful spot-spraying with a foam herbicide attachment on a calm, windless day work best. Alternatively, smother young weeds with a fresh, thick layer of organic mulch.
Walkable Ground Covers That Are Easy to Control:
The blue agave century plant is a monocarpic species, which means it blooms only once in its lifetime. After many years of growth, usually between 10 to 25 years, a tall flower stalk shoots up from the center of the plant.
October is the perfect time to plant trees, shrubs, conifers, and hardy perennials—or spring bulbs like tulips and daffodils—and if you're looking to sow cover crops or install lawns, now is the time for that as well.
Several fast-growing plants can sprout, mature, and be ready to harvest or display in just 30 days. Whether you are looking for edible crops, quick-blooming flowers, or houseplants, these selections will give you a nearly instant reward.