8 Drought-Tolerant Ground Covers for a Lush, Easy Landscape

creeping thyme with purple blooms — Credit:
fotolinchen / Getty Images

Ground covers suppress weeds, retain moisture better than grass, and are generally easy to maintain—if they're drought-tolerant, even better.

Some ground covers can be planted anytime, but for many, it’s a good idea to plant them in spring to let a plant's roots establish before drought conditions occur. Here, we spoke to experts about the best ground covers to weather dry climates—and how to care for them.

David Hillock, consumer horticulturist and state coordinator of the Oklahoma Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Program
Mike Arnold, PhD, director of The Gardens; professor of landscape horticulture at Texas A&M AgriLife

01 of 08

Purslane

Portulaca oleracea flowers in pink, white, and yellow — Pakin Songmor / Getty Images

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is a succulent with fleshy leaves and thick stems that hold in water, making it very drought-tolerant.

"There is a cultivar, ColorBlast™ Watermelon Punch, with a very bright pink and red flower that's really cool-looking," says Hillock. Purslane flowers are known to close up on cloudy days, but newer cultivars keep their blooms open longer without sun, creating a bright and cheery garden—even when the weather is the opposite.

Zones: 2 to 11
Size: 6 inches tall x 12 to 18 inches wide
Care requirements: Full sun; well-draining dry soils

02 of 08

Rose Verbena

Rose verbena (Glandularia canadensis) is excellent at attracting pollinators and withstanding bouts of dry weather; it's a must-have for those who live in the southern portion of the U.S.

Hillock notes that this verbena-family plant comes in several different reds and purples. Depending on where you live, it can be used as a perennial ground cover, is mildew-resistant, and blooms for most of the summer.

Zones: 8 to 10
Size: 6 inches tall x 24 inches wide
Care requirements: Full sun; dry, sandy soils

03 of 08

Hardy Plumbago

blue flowers plants on a green background in the garden — Getty / Oleg Kovtun

You can't go wrong with hardy plumbago (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides). It's easy to grow in well-drained soils and has small blue flowers that look similar to phlox.

The foliage can turn a burgundy color, too, says Hillock: "It blooms a lot when cooler temperatures set in during the fall."

Zones: 5 to 9
Size: 8 to 12 inches tall x 18 inches wide
Care requirements: Full sun to part shade; well-draining fertile soils

Poppy Mallow

Wine cup, or poppy mallow (Callirhoe involucrata), is a native ground cover with a long taproot, making it a good candidate for drought tolerance.

Better yet, it's good at covering large areas. "You can allow it to reseed itself," says Hillock. "If you have a large area that you need a ground cover to take over, it works great."

Zones: 4 to 8
Size: 6 to 12 inches tall x 6 inches to 3 feet wide
Care requirements: Full sun; rocky soils

05 of 08

Silver Ponysfoot

Silver ponysfoot (Dichondra argentea) is a native semi-evergreen to evergreen perennial with a vining tendency. You'll know it by its silvery leaves that resemble a colt's or pony's foot.

"The striking color is iridescent in the summer sun," says Mike Arnold, professor of landscape horticulture at Texas A&M. Just be careful when choosing a location to plant it, he says, as shade and overwatering can lead to reduced canopy density.

Zones: 8 to 13
Size: 4 inches tall x 4 feet wide
Care requirements: Full sun; well-drained oils

06 of 08

Southern Wood Fern

For less sunny spots in your garden, such as under trees, consider the southern wood fern (Dryopteris ludoviciana), as it can handle dry, shaded conditions during hot summers.

"These ferns die to the ground in winter and can be interplanted with spring geophytes for early color," says Arnold. "This species has evolved to thrive in dry shaded woodlands, but can tolerate moister conditions if needed."

Zones: 6 to 10
Size: 4 feet tall x 4 feet wide
Care requirements: Shade to part shade; well-draining soils

07 of 08

Low Prickly Pear

Some cacti, like low prickly pear (Opuntia humifusa), remain close to the ground and spread on rooted pads. This creates a sea of yellow cup-shaped flowers atop coarse, textured foliage.

"Cacti are among our most drought-tolerant landscape plants, with their water-conserving succulent stems functioning as the plant's photosynthetic organs," says Arnold.

Because of their built-in protections, these cacti can handle drought and extremely well-drained soils.

Zones: 5 to 9
Size: 18 inches tall x 18 inches wide
Care requirements: Full sun; well-draining soils

08 of 08

Creeping Thyme

For those in colder climates, creeping thyme (Thymus serpyllum) may work well as a drought-tolerant cover.

Its tiny pink flowers pop out in summer, and its leaves smell like mint in the right conditions—although they're not edible. The only issue, Hillock notes, is that they don't spread as quickly as some plants, so if it's more than just a small patch you're trying to cover, then consider a more vigorous option.

Zones: 5 to 9
Size: 4 inches tall x 12 inches wide
Care requirements: Full sun; rocky or sandy soils

8 Drought-Tolerant Ground Covers for a Vibrant, Low-Maintenance Garden