The Best Ground Covers for Your Garden

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Learn how to utilize ground covers in your garden to create beautiful, low-maintenance landscaping.

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There’s something so charming about a stone garden pathway with a flowering ground cover peeking through the cracks. However, ground covers aren’t just about aesthetics, they can also help define garden spaces, suppress weeds, reduce erosion, support pollinators, and even add a touch of fragrance to your garden. If you’re looking for low-maintenance landscaping suggestions that feel elevated yet natural, here are the best ideas for garden ground covers!

In this post, I’ll walk you through beautiful and practical options for ground cover plants that grow between stepping stones, easily cover sloped surfaces, and make garden borders feel lush and layered. You’ll also find care tips, suggestions for sun and shade gardens, native options, and ideas that fit a variety of garden aesthetics.

Purple mazus ground cover in formal garden with boxwood hedges, espaliered fruit tree, greenhouse — SWH Landscape Architecture

What benefits do ground covers offer your garden?

Before we get into the plant suggestions, let’s talk about why ground covers are such a garden essential:

Soften hardscaping – Whether you’re using stone, brick, gravel, or concrete, edging it with plants creates a more inviting and natural look.
Prevent weeds – Dense ground covers can suppress weeds better than mulch when fully established.
Help retain moisture – They create a natural layer of protection that keeps soil from drying out too quickly.
Support pollinators – Some ground covers like creeping thyme offer small blooms that attract bees and butterflies.
Perfect for small spaces – Even narrow pathways or tight borders can come to life with low-growing greenery.

viola ground cover for natural garden pathway — Fields

The best plants to use as ground covers

1. Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum)

If you’re planting a sun-filled path, creeping thyme between stepping stones is a classic choice. It grows just 1–3 inches tall and fills in spaces beautifully, creating a soft green carpet that is fragrant when stepped on. In summer, it blooms with clusters of purple-pink flowers.

Light: Full sun
Zones: 4–9
Care: Drought-tolerant once established; prune lightly after bloom
Best for: Sunny walkways, Mediterranean-style paths, gravel patios

🌿 Tip: Try pairing it with wider flagstones so foot traffic stays mostly on stone, letting the thyme thrive around the edges.

creeping thyme ground cover for garden steps — The Scape Artist

2. Blue Star Creeper (Isotoma fluviatilis)

This sweet little ground cover features tiny, pale blue star-shaped flowers in spring and summer. It’s a favorite for gardeners who want a delicate yet durable ground cover for pathways. It stays under 2 inches tall and spreads quickly, making it ideal between pavers or along borders.

Light: Full sun to part shade
Zones: 6–9
Care: Water regularly in dry spells; trim to contain spread
Best for: Cottage gardens, shaded borders, walkways

🌿 Looks especially charming when planted between irregular stone pavers or edging a brick pathway.

blue star creeper for steep garden — Surfing Hydrangea Nursery

3. Common Blue Violet (Viola sororia)

Native to much of the eastern U.S., Viola sororia is a charming and adaptable ground cover that brings early spring color to shady garden beds. Its heart-shaped leaves and violet-blue flowers make it a favorite for naturalistic landscapes. Though often seen as a wildflower, it can be a lovely, low-maintenance choice for woodland edges and shaded pathways.

Light: Part shade to full shade
Zones: 3–8
Care: Thrives in moist, humus-rich soil; tolerates clay and occasional drought once established
Best for: Cottage gardens, shady paths, naturalized borders

🌿 Viola sororia self-seeds easily and can fill in garden beds without becoming unruly. It pairs beautifully with ferns, hostas, and other spring ephemerals.

viola native ground cover in English garden — Fioli

4. Mazus (Mazus reptans)

This fast-growing, low-lying ground cover forms a dense green carpet and produces small lavender-blue or white flowers in spring. It thrives in moist, well-drained soil and is perfect for areas with part shade. Mazus tolerates some foot traffic, making it great for walkways and edges.

Light: Part sun to full shade
Zones: 5–8
Care: Keep soil moist during hot weather; divide every few years
Best for: Shady garden borders, stepping stone paths, small patios

🌿 Try mixing mazus with hostas or ferns for a rich, layered look in shaded areas.

Mazus ground cover along flagstone garden walkway — Fritz & Gignoux

5. Canada Anemone (Anemone canadensis)

For a more informal, naturalized look in your garden borders or open shade areas, Anemone canadensis is a vigorous native ground cover worth considering. It spreads by rhizomes and produces cheerful, cup-shaped white flowers in late spring to early summer. This plant is especially useful for stabilizing sloped or erosion-prone areas.

Light: Full sun to part shade
Zones: 3–8
Care: Prefers moist soil but tolerates brief dry periods; cut back in fall if needed to manage spread
Best for: Meadow-inspired borders, woodland paths, rain gardens

🌿 Anemone canadensis thrives in mixed native plantings and looks lovely paired with ornamental grasses or beneath open-canopy trees.

Native white flower ground cover — Natural Garden Natives

6. Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides)

For something with a romantic, evergreen flair, Star Jasmine is a luxurious yet manageable ground cover or low climber. Though more often trained up trellises, it can also sprawl as a fragrant, glossy-leaved ground cover in warmer climates. In spring and early summer, it produces an abundance of white star-shaped blooms that scent the entire garden.

Light: Full sun to part shade
Zones: 8–11
Care: Prune to shape after flowering; drought-tolerant once established
Best for: Southern gardens, Mediterranean borders, perfumed paths near patios

🌿 Use star jasmine at the base of a garden wall or let it spill over retaining edges for both structure and scent.

Low growing star jasmine for fragrant ground cover — Simon McCurdy Landscapes

7. Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima)

If you want a blooming ground cover that keeps going all season, sweet alyssum is a standout. It grows quickly, smells wonderful, and has tiny white, pink, or purple blooms that attract pollinators. While it’s technically an annual in many zones, it self-seeds reliably.

Light: Full sun
Zones: Grown as an annual in most regions
Care: Deadhead to encourage blooms; water in dry spells
Best for: Garden borders, flower beds, sunny gravel paths

🌿 Plant it along the edge of garden paths or along slopes for a charming, cottage-style look.

Sweet alyssum and low growing roses for informal cottage garden — Montecito Landscape

Tips for Designing Landscaping with Ground Covers

Here are a few ideas to help your design feel cohesive and professional:

Repeat the texture: Use one or two types of ground covers in repeating patterns through your garden to create rhythm.
Blend with hardscape: Choose plants that match the tone and scale of your pavers (soft foliage works best with weathered stone).
Think about foot traffic: Not all ground covers can handle heavy footfall. For high-traffic zones, use stepping stones with a buffer of hardier varieties like thyme or dymondia.
Mix bloom times: Combine ground covers that bloom in different seasons to keep borders colorful from spring through fall.

Ground cover in city garden — London Garden Design

Ground covers are often one of the most underappreciated elements of a layered garden. Whether you’re creating a lush garden path, refreshing your side yard with shade-loving edging, or just looking for easy ground covers for a sunny hill, these plants offer beauty, structure, and practical benefits for any landscape.

If you enjoyed this post, check out my other posts with gardening ideas, which are featured below. I’ve also included links to some of my favorite gardening supplies.

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