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Perennial Ground Covers



Perennial ground covers are plants that

1) are reliably perennial – they live from year to year and

2) grow quite quickly to cover the ground.


Perennial Ground Covers Come With Warnings


The advantages of ground covers are that they cover bare ground and often grow where no other plant will survive.

This often makes them candidates for garden thug status. If a plant will grow and cover the ground, it seldom makes a distinction between the area you want covered and the area it wants to cover.

It is up to you to enforce the limits with edging material or sharp shovels. In my opinion, plants that are primarily used for ground covers should never be allowed into good perennial gardens.

Aegopodium or goutweed/bishop’sweed is a perfect example. This is a rampant spreader that will “eat” many nearby plants as it spreads by underground rhizome. It makes an excellent ground cover for wasteland areas but if put into a good garden, it will simply smother shorter plants and invade the root areas of taller ones.

black eyed susan rudbeckia
Here are the Myths of Ground Covers where I describe some of the common questions and advertising myths of this class of plants.

Not for the marketing people in the nursery trade!


Plant Lists



black eyed susan rudbeckia
Here’s a list of plants that make decent ground covers. Most of them come with a warning about their ability to spread and the simple growing instruction of put in ground, water, stand back!

black eyed susan rudbeckia
A list of ground covers for shade.  Print it out and take it to the garden center with you.


black eyed susan rudbeckia
A list of ground covers for sun. Print this one out and take it to the garden center with you as well.


black eyed susan rudbeckia
Evergreen ground covers - here are a few that might do the job in USDA 4.



english ivy
Campanula carpatica




Specific Plant Information


black eyed susan rudbeckia
Aegopodium or Growing Goutweed is a no-brainer but this plant comes with a fast-growing potential thug warning.


black eyed susan rudbeckia
Do I really have to weed out goutweed?



black eyed susan rudbeckia
Ajuga or Bugleweed is a good flowering plant with a wide range of varieties for many uses.

english ivy
Ajuga Burgundy Glow


black eyed susan rudbeckia
Asarum or Wild Ginger is a lovely evergreen ground cover that isn't invasive.


black eyed susan rudbeckia
Campanula or bellflowers make delightful and long-blooming ground cover plants for sun or medium shade.


black eyed susan rudbeckia
Convallaria or Lily of the Valley is a classic shade-loving ground cover that can become a bit of a thug if you're not careful.

english ivy
Lily of the Valley

black eyed susan rudbeckia
Epimediums are one of those tough plants for shade - if you can't grow this plant, you had better consider mulch or silk flowers.

black eyed susan rudbeckia
Hedera helix or English Ivy is one of the classic perennial ground covers  although it can escape and become a problem plant in warmer climates.

black eyed susan rudbeckia
Lamium or Dead Nettle is a wonderful perennial ground cover - not invasive and flowering.


black eyed susan rudbeckia
Stachys or Lambs ears is a gray leafed ground cover that fills in well in evenly moist soils (doesn't llike drought)





I'm now taking some semi-retirement time, so questions about perennials are now only being answered here. (Click Here)


You may find yours already answered so do check out the lists below

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Click below to see questions from other visitors to this page...

Ground cover with blue/purple spikes in May  My gardnere just destroyed a bed full of ground cover we have had for 18 years. It is hardy with dark green leaves close to the ground and in May it produces ...

how to kill perenial ground cover  I bought a house that I just found out has perennial ground cover growing out of control and I do not want it anymore how can I get rid of it!

Doug ...

Spring, sumer & fall ground ccover  I am looking for a ground cover that will flower in the late spring, summer and early fall - are there any ground covers such as those - someone recommend ...

Need ground cover  Hi,
I have a sloped backyard, which is a bit rocky, and quite sunny. I would like to plant a ground cover on this hill, preferably by seed (as it appears ...

Ground covers that are safe for dogs  Can you please tell me what groundcovers are SAFE for dogs? I don't care about the pounding it will take, just as long as it is not harmful to the dog....

perennial shade ground cover for dogs  need perennial shade ground cover that can take a dog's pounding. what do you suggest.

Doug says there is no perennial plant that will withstand dog ...

Growing chamomile(roman) as ground cover on steep slope  Hi,

I am in Zone 6A, and would like to use chamomile as a groundcover for a large hillside in my backyard. The hill is very steep, thus making mowing ...

Ground cover under a couple of cherry trees.  I need some idea's of what I can plant under a couple of cherry trees. There is about a 4 foot wide raised flat area with a steep 3 foot slope down to ...

Ground cover for a rocky, clay slope with some erosion.  Doug,
I hope you can help me find a fast growing ground cover for my very infrequently traversed backyard. I live in Missouri(zone 5 I believe)on a second ...

ground covers that are "dog friendly"  What are good perennial ground covers that aren't poisonous for dogs & would be hardy enough for dogs to walk/run on?if any exist)-area is mostly shady ...

Creeping Jenny explosion  My Creeping Jenny is taking over the yard. Can i plant different flowers over it or in between the Jenny?

I like it when it blooms, but the space ...

lily of the valley pips without any sprout?  I was given Lily of the valley pips but they do not have decent "sprouts" if at all. The roots look ok... I would like to know if i can plant them in the ...

Rocky sloped area for ground cover  I'm im businees in Clarksville Tn. I have a large area that we put down 4 to 6" rocks down to pervent moving. The only problem is 10 years later weeds ...

creeping flox has brown areas  My creeping flox looked great during the spring months and bloomed beautifully. Now the blooming is done the have started to turn brown are they dieing ...

creeping phlox transplanting  What is the best time to replant creeping phlox?

Doug says that Creeping Phlox can be replanted or transplanted first thing in the spring (when the ...

No-work cover for very steep slope  I live in Pittsburgh, PA. I have a very steep slope on the side of my property. All summer long, it is covered with the worst possible, thorny, tall ...

Pachysandra growth pattern on banks  Hey maybe a stupid question but am curious as to whether Pachysandra if planted on a hill will grow more up the hill or down .

Doug says pachysandra ...

ground cover for the flower garden  I was considering replacing the mulch in my full-sun flower garden with a ground cover, I am concerned about it choking out other plants. Is there a suitable ...

low maintenance evergreens for slope  Was wondering what evergreens of varying sizes would be best for a steep, but small, slope. Something that is heat resistant, drought tolerant, and can ...

Ground covers that dont take over?  Are there any ground covers that don't take over the garden?

Doug says that yes, there are indeed ground covers that don't take over but I can't speak ...

Need a low height shade ground cover for cemetry  I need to find a low height ground cover for a shade area in the woods. Please help- It is for a private cemetery. In PA.

Doug says that the shade ...

Yellowing Leaves on Lamium  My husband and I have a wooded lot with perennial beds circling groups of trees. Since I had many large beds to plant in I started with grouncovers to ...

Common Vetch has overtaken Hillside  Can you recommend a ground cover that will overpower the common vetch? I have tried round-up, but the vetch keeps coming back. It is a steep hill, so ...

Crown Vetch   I have this growing in my soybean fields and I cannot kill it it keeps coming back. Will Roundup or something kill it before the soybeans pop thru the ...

best ground cover for sandy soil  I have an area above a retaining wall that leads into woods. It has sandy soil and I am wondering if creeping phlox would be the best grown cover or if ...





english ivy
English Ivy "Eating" tree





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