If you’re anything like me, you pull weeds from the same bare patch one week and somehow they’re back again the next.
The quicker a groundcover spreads, the less open soil there is for new weeds to take hold, making those areas much easier to maintain. Or maybe you’re just tired of looking at the same plain lawn!
I have to admit, I’ve never really understood why a perfectly green lawn is such a goal. I’d much rather come home to a colorful groundcover buzzing with bees and butterflies. And if it can help crowd out weeds at the same time, even better.
Here are 12 fast-spreading groundcovers that not only look good but can help keep weeds in check.
12 Fast-Growing Groundcovers For Weed Control
1) Creeping Phlox (Phlox stolonifera)
Best for: USDA Zones 4-8 • Full sun to partial shade • Light foot traffic
Creeping phlox is one of those groundcovers that gives you a lot more than just green foliage. It spreads by stems that root as they grow, gradually forming a dense mat covered in pink, purple, blue-violet, or white flowers in spring.
Once it fills in, that thick growth leaves less bare soil for weeds to take advantage of. You can also walk on it occasionally, which makes it useful around garden paths and stepping stones, but I wouldn’t treat it like a lawn that gets walked over every day.
2) Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima)
Best for: Grown as an annual in most of the U.S. • Full sun to partial shade • No regular foot traffic
Sweet alyssum stays only a few inches tall but quickly spreads into soft mounds covered in tiny white, pink, or purple flowers.
I don’t recommend planting it somewhere people regularly walk, because its stems and flowers are delicate. I find them more useful for filling bare spots along paths, between taller plants, or at the front of flower beds where exposed soil would otherwise give weeds an easy opening.
Quick note: It flowers for months in cooler weather and attracts plenty of bees and butterflies, but hot summer weather can slow the blooms down.
If you’re already growing it, we also wrote a full guide on why sweet alyssum is such a useful companion plant in the garden.
3) Rose Verbena (Glandularia canadensis)
Best for: USDA Zones 6-10 • Full sun • No regular foot traffic
Rose verbena is a low, spreading native that covers itself in clusters of bright pink to purple flowers. It’s a short-lived perennial, but it can self-seed when it’s happy and once established, it handles drought well and attracts butterflies.
Its trailing stems can root where they touch the soil, helping it fill bare spaces along borders, slopes, and rock gardens. Don’t put it somewhere that stays soggy. It thrives much better in well-drained soil and is especially useful in hot, dry spots.
4) Green-and-Gold (Chrysogonum virginianum)
Best for: USDA Zones 5-9 • Partial shade • No regular foot traffic
This eastern U.S. native stays low and spreads by rhizomes into a dense mat of green foliage, topped with cheerful yellow, daisy-like flowers in spring and summer (with some flowering continuing or returning later in the season!).
If the shady parts of your yard are where grass struggles and weeds keep sneaking in, green-and-gold is worth a look. It can also handle more sun, provided the soil stays consistently moist. The flowers tend to bring plenty of bee and butterfly activity with them.
Quick note: It spreads at a moderate to fairly quick pace once established, but it’s usually much easier to control than aggressive groundcovers.
5) Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum)
Best for: USDA Zones 4-9 • Full sun • Light foot traffic
If you want that low, colorful carpet look, creeping thyme is hard to beat. It grows only a few inches tall and spreads into a dense mat of tiny aromatic leaves, with pink to purple flowers covering the plants in summer. Bees and butterflies are especially drawn to the blooms.
It works particularly well between stepping stones, along paths, over rocks, and in dry sunny areas where other plants struggle. Once established, it’s drought tolerant and can handle occasional footsteps.
And if yours grows beautifully but barely flowers, we wrote a guide on how to get more pink blooms from creeping thyme.
6) Moss Phlox (Phlox subulata)
Best for: USDA Zones 3-9 • Full sun • No regular foot traffic
Moss phlox stays just a few inches tall but forms a dense, almost carpet-like mat. In spring, the foliage can practically disappear beneath masses of pink, lavender, purple, or white flowers. It’s also native to parts of the central and eastern U.S. (win-win!)
I especially like it for sunny slopes, rock gardens, retaining walls, and along paths, where its low growth can cover bare soil without hiding everything around it. It tolerates dry conditions once established, but good drainage is important.
Quick note: To be completely honest with you, moss phlox isn’t the fastest spreader on this list but once it fills in, it forms a thick, long-lasting groundcover that’s so worth it!
7) Barren Strawberry (Waldsteinia fragarioides)
Best for: USDA Zones 3-7 • Full sun to partial shade • Light foot traffic
Barren strawberry looks a little like the real thing, with strawberry-like leaves and cheerful yellow flowers in spring, but it stays only around 3-6 inches tall.
I like this one for woodland edges, along paths, and those awkward transition areas where you don’t necessarily want lawn. It can even tolerate some light foot traffic once established.
Quick note: Don’t be fooled by its name and don’t plant this one expecting a strawberry harvest! It’s grown for its foliage and flowers, not for edible fruit.
If that’s the kind of groundcover you prefer, we also put together a guide to plants that fill awkward gaps without completely taking over.
8) Sunshine Mimosa (Mimosa strigillosa)
Best for: USDA Zones 8-11 • Full sun • Light foot traffic
Sunshine mimosa is one of the faster spreaders on this list. This warm-climate U.S. native stays just a few inches tall and quickly weaves itself into a dense green mat covered in pink, powderpuff-like flowers from spring into fall.
The delicate-looking leaves actually handle some light foot traffic, so it can work as a colorful lawn alternative or around stepping stones. The flowers are a favorite with butterflies, and it even serves as a host for butterfly larvae.
Quick note: Quick heads-up so you don’t panic like my aunt if it disappears during colder weather! It can die back or go dormant in winter, but usually returns once temperatures warm up again.
If replacing turfgrass is your bigger goal, we also put together a guide to no-mow lawn ideas using groundcovers.
9) Frogfruit (Phyla nodiflora)
Best for: USDA Zones 8-11 • Full sun to partial shade • Moderate foot traffic
I admit, the flowers don’t look like much on their own, BUT once frogfruit spreads into a big patch, those tiny white-and-purple blooms really start to stand out. Its creeping stems root as they grow, quickly filling bare soil and forming a dense mat.
It’s a great option if you want something more interesting than turfgrass that can still handle some walking. Once established, it tolerates both dry and moist conditions, while the flowers attract bees and several butterflies.
Quick note: Frogfruit spreads enthusiastically, which is great when you’re trying to cover ground quickly but keep an eye on where it wanders.
10) Common Blue Violet (Viola sororia)
Best for: USDA Zones 3-7 • Full sun to partial shade • No regular foot traffic
Common blue violet is one of those plants you may already have growing somewhere in your yard without realizing how useful it can be. This eastern and central North American native produces heart-shaped leaves and blue-violet flowers in spring.
It works particularly well under trees, along paths, and in shady parts of the lawn where grass never seems completely happy. The flowers also attract bees and butterflies, and the plant supports fritillary butterfly caterpillars.
Quick note: This one can be a little too successful… It self-seeds freely and may become weedy in moist, fertile areas, so plant it somewhere you’re happy to let it spread.
11) Woodland Stonecrop (Sedum ternatum)
Best for: USDA Zones 3-9 • Partial shade • No regular foot traffic
If you like the look of succulents but don’t have a hot, sunny spot, woodland stonecrop is a nice exception. This eastern U.S. native creeps into a dense mat of small, fleshy green leaves, topped with clusters of tiny white, star-shaped flowers in spring.
It’s especially useful under trees, among rocks, or along shady edges. It handles some dry soil once established, although it looks its best with decent drainage and occasional moisture.
Quick note: Woodland stonecrop isn’t considered highly toxic, but I’ve come across a few warnings that eating a lot of it may cause stomach upset, and the sap can irritate sensitive skin. If you have pets or young children who like chewing on plants, I’d definitely skip this one.
12) Creeping Juniper (Juniperus horizontalis)
Best for: USDA Zones 3-9 • Full sun • No regular foot traffic
If you want a groundcover that still looks good when everything else has gone dormant, creeping juniper is a great one to finish the list with.
This North American native is evergreen, staying low while its long branches spread outward to form a dense mat that can eventually reach 4-10 feet across (depending on the cultivar).
I especially like it for sunny slopes, rocky areas, and dry, well-drained spots. Once established, it handles drought and poor soil surprisingly well, and that sprawling growth can also help with erosion.
Quick note: Again, keeping the full honesty, this is not the quickest on the list either. But give it time and plenty of room to spread, and some cultivars can eventually get very wide.
Planting Groundcovers – A Few Tips That Actually Help
When I plant groundcovers, I try to give them the best chance to fill in quickly. The faster they cover bare soil, the sooner they can start helping with weeds.
And if you’re trying to keep the rest of the bed looking tidy too, we wrote a guide to low-maintenance border materials for cleaner flower beds.
One Thing To Watch Before Planting Groundcovers
The same thing that makes a groundcover great at crowding out weeds can also make it difficult to control. Some spread far beyond where you planted them and can start creeping into flower beds, lawns, or even nearby natural areas.
Before planting anything especially vigorous, I always recommend checking its mature spread and whether it’s considered invasive in your state. A plant that behaves perfectly well in one part of the U.S. can become a real problem somewhere else.
Fast coverage is great, as long as you’re the one deciding where it grows!
We’ve also written about some popular perennials that can cause more trouble than they’re worth, especially when they start spreading beyond where you planted them.
I hope this helps! If you have any questions, please leave a comment below.
I find with any ground cover plants i have loads of snails and slugs i just cant get rid of them.i also still get certain weeds coming through the middle of the plants
Hi Jessie! 😊 I’ve had the same problem! Slugs love hiding under dense covers. 😅 I usually sprinkle crushed eggshells or use copper tape around the edges, and that helps a lot. For weeds, I just pull any that sneak through while they’re small before they get established.
Also, diatomaceous (dia-toe-ma-sha-us) earth – is a good tool to use around and underneath these ground covers. To human hands it feels like regular soil but to snakes, snails and slugs with soft under bellies, the sharp edges of this siliceous material is to be avoided. They will not cross it.
Hi Sue 🙂 Diatomaceous earth can help a little when it’s dry, but it loses effectiveness once it gets wet and it can also affect beneficial insects. I’d use it carefully rather than relying on it as the main fix.
Put a can of beer out in a swallow pan
I think you meant “Shallow “ not swallow. Probably predictive text got you.
An non-toxic way to tackle slugs and snails is to sprinkle processed Bran on and around your garden: they are unable to digest it.
Alternatively, throw handfuls of cheap Salt over your garden beds; mortality results when they make contact with the grains of salt.
Get a shallow dish and pour enough beer in it to cover the bottom of the bowl & approximately 1 inch high. Place it where you see slugs. I did this the first year I lived in my current house and there were slugs lined up to drink that beer. 🤣
They go off somewhere and die. Keep this up until you don’t see any more slugs.
Are these ground covers suitable to grow in sub tropical zones?
Hi Margherita! 😊 Some of these can handle subtropical zones. Vinca and sedum usually do well, and creeping jenny will thrive if it’s kept moist. Creeping thyme can be a bit fussier with humidity though, so I’d only try it in a really well-drained, sunny spot.
Are any of these ground covers deer resistant?
Hi! 😊 From my list, creeping juniper, stonecrop (sedum), and creeping thyme are usually safe from deer, they tend to avoid those because of the scent and texture. The rest might need some protection if deer are a problem in your area.
im in a deer populated area… the deer are not bothering sweet woodruff or creeping jenny.
If a description says drought tolerant, that usually means it doesn’t like continuously wet feet
Never plant Bishop Weed! It does not die. I covered it with cardboard and compost, next year it started coming back and spread rapidly. I sprayed it with Roundup. The plants looked dead but started growing again..from the dead part stems! Brush killer was much the same. I finally removed everything from the bed and dug up the entire bed, removing every root and leaf that I saw. Replanted, watching carefully and quickly removing any starts.
Hi Dianne! 😊 Oh I know exactly what you mean!!!! My friend had bishop’s weed take over her shady bed and it was a nightmare to control. Digging every bit out was the only thing that worked for her too. It’s definitely one I’d never plant on purpose!
I am plagued by it also. I can’t afford to replace the earth six feet down all around my property and it is the most ignorant plant I’ve ever heard of. For some reason, not an invasive weed on the list in my area. Ridiculous. It is resistant to Roundup – it just kills the top, but does not absorb to the roots. I have used black plastic and tarps, but it comes from the bush behind my place, so it’s too much work to try to lay that on uneven rocky and treed ground. They say all you can do about it is move away. Surely there must be something to kill the demon that it is.
I know what mean you mean. Bishops weed is a nightmare to control. It spreads everywhere and is really hard to get rid of.
Which options will look alive in winter? Nashville TN is ~zone 7 and I’m envisioning a sunny area that is irrigated but still quite dry. Thx!
Hi Jennifer! 😊 In Zone 7, creeping thyme and vinca minor will both stay green through winter, even if they slow down. My mom grows ajuga too, and it keeps its foliage year-round in her sunny beds. They’ll all handle that irrigated but dry spot pretty well.
I live in Milwaukee County, WI (not sure what zone it is) and my Pacasandra stays green all winter, right through the snow! It’s growing in the shade under a huge maple tree. Filtered sun. My sweet Woodruff is fabulously doing it’s best at keeping weeds at bay in filtered shade! My Hostas are growing crazy and HUGE in full sunshine. Looking forward to trying some of your suggestions this year!
Hi Judy 🙂 That sounds like a great shade setup! Pachysandra and sweet woodruff can both do really well under trees, and it’s always helpful to hear what’s working in a real garden.
Love the idea of ground covers to help with weeds that grow in our gardens.
Hi Barbara! 😊 Same here, once I added creeping thyme and vinca around my beds, the weeds had a much harder time sneaking through. Plus, it makes the garden look so much fuller!
Wher can i buy these ground cover plants please. Rhonda
Hi Rhonda! 😊 You can usually find groundcovers like creeping thyme, vinca, or sedum at local garden centers or nurseries. I’ve had the best luck just picking them up at places like Lowe’s or a small family nursery nearby. If you prefer, there are lots of online nurseries that ship them right to your door too!
What would you suggest to tackle creeping bellflower?Its suddenly taking over my small front lawn. I was tempted to just dig the whole thing up and try planting flowers but a ground cover would be a nice solution
Hi Marie 🙂 Creeping bellflower is tough because it spreads by roots, so a new ground cover won’t usually stop it unless you remove as much of the bellflower root system as possible first. I’d dig carefully, keep checking for regrowth, and then replant with a dense ground cover once you’ve knocked it back.
Where can I get creeping thyme plants?
Hi! 😊 I usually find creeping thyme at local garden centers in the herb section, but I’ve also ordered plugs online from nurseries when I needed a lot at once. It spreads quickly once you get it started!
What is the name of the ground cover used as the advertisement plant at the beginning and not identified.
Hi Lorraine! 😊 That one’s Creeping Jenny, the label is just a little further down under the photo.
Hi Rita. I am looking for ground cover plants that the deer band muntjacs will not eat. Can you advise me please
Thankyou
Hi! 😊 Deer and muntjacs can be tricky, but a few groundcovers they usually avoid are catmint, epimedium, lungwort, and creeping phlox. Those have worked best in my garden for keeping the nibblers away!
Witch ones are suitable in big frost areas, nut also good with dry conditions in Sumer
?
Hi! 😊 For cold winters and dry summers, try creeping thyme, sedum (stonecrop), or creeping phlox, they handle frost really well and stay tough through droughts too.
Hi! What works in sandy soil and cold winters in Maine?
Hi Carol 😊 For sandy soil and cold Maine winters, hardy groundcovers that usually do well are creeping juniper, bearberry, creeping phlox, and sedum. The big trick is watering the first season so they root in, then they handle the sandy drainage much better.
I enjoy this gardening info, can you add a combined picture page for reference? Makes ir handy to store & look back on. Thank you 😊
Hi Linda 😊 That’s a really good idea. In the meantime, you can use your browser Print option and choose Save as PDF, or just save the images from the post to a folder on your phone for quick reference.
What zone is Melbourne Victoria in please? I live these creepers, and can they have full sun
Hi Rosie 😊 These are American zones and they don’t apply to Melbourne. But I did a quick search and it seems like you live in a mild temperate climate, roughly similar to USDA Zones 9 or 10 depending on the exact zone. Most creepers can take full sun if they get regular water while establishing, and they’ll do best with morning sun and a bit of afternoon protection on the hottest days.
Looking for a ground cover to go around my pool. I don’t want tall
Hi Anna 😊 For around a pool, I’d look at low, tidy groundcovers like dwarf mondo grass, creeping thyme, or sedum… If you don’t want bees near the pool, skip thyme and lean toward dwarf mondo or a low sedum!
Have you considered Irish moss for around the pool.
The weeds just grow through the creeping Jenny I have planted. There is a horrible sticker bush that grows all around my house I think its root system just keeps growing and I can’t figure out how to get rid of it. Does anyone have any ideas of what to do?
Hi 🙂 Groundcovers help most once weeds are already under control, but tough sticker bushes usually need to be dug out by the roots or treated directly. I’d focus on removing that first, then let the creeping Jenny fill back in afterward.
Sadly most of the plants listed here are not native and a many are invasive. Please Check your area before buying!
Hi Joanna🙂 That’s a fair reminder. A few fast-spreading groundcovers can become a problem in certain areas, so it’s always smart to check your local invasive plant list before buying.
I was shocked to see Creeping Jenny suggested as a groundcover in the USA. It’s invasive! Don’t do it!! Plant it in a pot or don’t plant it at all.
Hi 🙂 You’re right to be cautious. Creeping Jenny is nonnative and can spread aggressively, especially in moist areas. It is listed as invasive or restricted in some states, though not everywhere, so I’d keep it in a pot and check the local invasive-plant list before planting it in the ground.
hi Jenny what works well in the UK climate? i have a pretty big allotment that i only recently took over, i have managed to prepare a good section for my 10 pallet collars, i am going to concentrate on these 10 for this season, the plot is some 45metres by 3metres. i have placed membrane cover over the section that i will not be using this years to supress the weeds but it would be great to have some colour i have a small section left that i have not covered as yet so any suggestions what i might plant in there as weed cover?Here in the UK i think they refer to these weed covers as “green manure” thanks for your post very informative cheers Rob west midlands – UK
Hi Robert 🙂 For the UK, green manure crops like clover, phacelia, field beans, or grazing rye can work well for covering bare soil, depending on the season. If you want some color in a smaller open section, nasturtiums or calendula could also help cover soil and brighten the space.
Last summer I had some kind of weed take over my flower bed. Don’t know what it is but I can’t seem to kill it! It killed my marigolds. I’ve dug up, covered with black plastic and it still lives 😭 . Any ideas would be great 👍! Also want to thank you for sharing, love reading your articles.
Hi Cindy 🙂 That sounds so frustrating. If black plastic didn’t stop it, it may be a tough perennial weed with deep roots or runners, so I’d try to identify it first, then keep digging out as much root as possible before replanting. Thank you for the kind words too!
Hi possibly a stupid question but will ground cover stop bulbs from growing 🤔
Hi Kev 🙂 Not a stupid question at all! Many bulbs can still push through looser groundcovers, but very dense mats may slow them down, so I’d avoid planting aggressive groundcovers directly over smaller bulbs.
I need a ground co er that I can walk on as I have raised beds im the space. If not plants, what else could I use?
Hi Jeanette 🙂 For paths around raised beds, creeping thyme can handle light foot traffic, but if you’ll be walking there often, mulch, gravel, or stepping stones may be easier to maintain.
I grew up in zone 8, with a long growing season and mild winters. But I’m getting ready to move to zone 5, shorter growing season and heavy winters. So all the garden plans I had are gone. I want to grow white clover, dandelion, creeping thyme, as well as a vegetable garden and herbs. Where do I start?
Hi 🙂 I’d start small your first year in zone 5 and learn your new frost dates first. Creeping thyme and clover can work, but choose hardy varieties, and wait on tender vegetables and herbs until after your last frost or start them indoors first.
How do I get rid of English Ivy? It has taken over..
Hi Brandy 🙂 English ivy is very stubborn. Start by cutting the vines back, then pull or dig out as much of the roots as you can. After that, keep removing new shoots as soon as they appear, because it usually takes repeated cleanup to finally weaken it.
Help!
I have a couple of tennis courts+ size area that is covered in 2-8″ of 1″ crush-er-run(?) gravel (the kind used for country driveways). We used the gravel to level off an area that had dips and slopes in it. It’s a solid shade area, since a tall shop building hides the sun from noon on. It’s never watered except by rain, so generally dry. It gets overrun with henbit & several other small plants in the spring, then field grasses & who knows what other tall weeds for the rest of our growing season in far NE Oklahoma. Chart says we’re zone 6b-7a, but we have extremes every year!
Please don’t suggest herbicides – I hate using herbicides!
a- they kill pollinators, etc.
b- even RM43 (what ranchers use) doesn’t last but a month or so, & it’s crazy expensive!
Does anyone know of anything that thrives in dry gravelly areas, (can’t add soil, that would be cost prohibitive).
My wish list:
low maintenance
2-4″ tall
won’t die completely when it gets down in the low teens for a week or so in winter, or burn up when the temps get over 98 -105 for most of the summer
can be occasionally walked on
Flowers would be nice, but beggars can’t be choosers!
Any suggestions would be most helpful!
Thanks so much!!!
JC
Hi 🙂 That is a tough spot, especially with dry gravel and shade. I’d try small test patches first with tough options like creeping thyme in the brighter areas, or sedum where it gets enough sun, but for that much gravel, keeping a mowed/trimmed “living path” or adding fresh gravel over landscape fabric may be more realistic than trying to plant the whole area.
Hi Rita. I live in zone 7. I have a partial sun to shady area where I need to plant a ground cover on a slope to stop the weeds. I need a drought tolerant version. What should I plant?
I love your blog,
Thank you
Hi Karen 🙂 For a zone 7 slope with partial sun and some shade, I’d look at tough options like creeping thyme in the sunnier spots, creeping juniper where it’s drier, or ajuga in the shadier parts. Just check local invasive lists first, especially with fast spreaders.
I love creeping thyme. Will start seeds tomorrow but will this ground cover make it through the winter in the Philadelphia area? Love your emails! Thanks. JP
Hi Judy 🙂 Creeping thyme should usually handle Philadelphia winters as long as it has good drainage. It likes sun best, so give it the brightest spot you can and avoid soil that stays soggy.
I planted dichondra and it took over everything planted within 5 ft of it. They root and grow in different directions underground. It was like trying to untangle Xmas lights, while blindfolded, when I was digging it out.
Hi 🙂 That’s exactly why it’s so important to check how a groundcover behaves in your area before planting. Some of them are wonderful in the right spot, but too aggressive in others.
I would like to plant something under my hibiscus hedges, the black birds love to look for food and at the same time push my wood bark on to my walkway.
Hi 🙂 A low groundcover could help keep the bark in place, but under hibiscus hedges I’d choose something that handles partial shade and regular leaf litter, like sweet woodruff or ajuga. You could also edge the bed to keep the bark off the walkway.
My clovers have the white things on top (mama used to make “necklaces” and “bracelets” for me). ARE THEY GOOD GROUND COVER??? The clovers you show have the yellow flowers.
Hi Janet 🙂 Yes, white clover can be a good ground cover, especially if you want something low, bee-friendly, and helpful for the soil. The one with yellow flowers is a different type, but white clover can still work well as long as you’re okay with the blooms and some spreading.
Rita,
Any ideas how to get rid of cheatgrass and replacing with grass ground cover or even wild flowers. I’m in Billings Montana so we get pretty cold but very dry.
Hi Kelly 🙂 For a small area, pull or mow the cheatgrass before the seedheads turn purple or brown, then repeat whenever new seedlings appear over the next few seasons. Once it is under control, blue grama and buffalograss are good low-water grass options for Billings, or you could use a Montana-native dryland grass and wildflower mix. Don’t seed directly into active cheatgrass because it can quickly outcompete the new plants.
You didn’t post a photo of clover (Trifolium spp). That was Oxalis, and is currently the bane of my existence. You see the wee seed pod in your photo that looks like okra? It SHOOTS seeds everywhere with explosive force, and the plant is very difficult to get rid of once you have it in your garden. Be afraid, very afraid.