6 Low-Maintenance Ground Covers That Practically Take Care of Themselves

Creeping Thyme

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.

• Zones: 4 to 9
• Size: 6 inches tall x 18 inches wide
• Care requirements: Full sun; well-drained soil

Creeping Phlox

Creeping phlox (Phlox stolonifera) may not be quite as drought-tolerant as creeping thyme, but it has plenty of wonderful characteristics in its own right. It's right at home on slopes or tucked into rock walls, and, like creeping thyme, it produces an impressive display of flowers.

• Zones: 3 to 9
• Size: 6 inches tall x 24 to 36 inches wide
• Care requirements: Full sun; well-drained soil

Trout Lilies

The spring leaves of Erythronium americanum have a charming spotted appearance; they also put out delicate yellow blossoms that hang like bells. The flowers are only present in the spring, but the delightful leaves last longer and can really fill in a vacant region of your landscaping.

The leaves do tend to fade off in the summer, but the upside is that trout lilies require very little attention. They're typically planted as corms.   

• Zones: 3 to 8
• Size: About 6 inches high
• Care requirements: Full to partial shade, humus-rich soil

Kurapia

For gardeners in warmer climates, the easygoing native ground cover Phyla nodiflora is worth considering.

"It's an easy one I grow here in Arizona," says master gardener Angela Judd. "It's very heat-tolerant, uses less water than Bermuda grass, grows only about 3 inches tall, and doesn't require regular mowing unless you want a more manicured look or fewer flowers.:

She notes that kurapia doesn't tolerate heavy foot traffic, so she suggests not using it in high-traffic areas.

• Zones: 7 and up
• Size: 3 inches tall and several feet wide
• Care requirements: It isn't fussy about lighting or soil conditions

Blue-Eyed Grass

Blue-eyed grass forms a nice ground cover, though it does so in more of a clumping fashion, spreading from clump to clump via rhizomes. Despite the name, it isn't really a grass at all.

"Sisyrinchium angustifolium is a low-lying perennial that actually belongs to the iris family, not grasses," says landscape designer and author Teresa Watkins. She notes it's native across Canada and down the east coast of the United States.

"With more than 100 species and cultivars, its star-shaped blooms appear in blue, violet, purple, and white, and its leaves are shorter but lance-shaped, like larger irises," she says. "Blue-eyed grass thrives in moist soils, swales, and along shorelines."

• Zones: 5 to 8
• Size: 6 to 8 inches high, about 10-inch wide clumps
• Care requirements: Full sun for most flowers, though partial shade is okay. Well-drained soil is best.

Powderpuff Mimosa

For a ground cover with beautiful blossoms, powderpuff mimosa is a charming option.

"Another Florida and southeastern coast native, Powderpuff mimosa (Mimosa strigilosa) is an excellent ground cover for butterflies and new gardeners," says Watkins. While this is a native plant, it is an aggressive grower.

These flowers are easy to care for, "with no pest issues—and they can be walked on and mowed over," she adds.

• Zones: 8 to 11
• Size: About 6 inches tall
• Care requirements: Full sun, well-drained soil