I spent my first three years of gardening waging an exhausting war against crabgrass and dandelions in the side yard. I sprayed, I pulled, and I laid down expensive black plastic that eventually just ripped and let the weeds through. It wasn’t until I started planting thick, living carpets that the weeds finally lost the battle. This is my list of ground covers that crowd out weeds naturally.
Quick Summary
- 12 ground covers that form dense mats to naturally shade out weed seeds.
- Options for both full sun and deep shade.
- Best starter pick: Creeping Thyme — tough, fragrant, and handles foot traffic.
The first six are sun-lovers that thrive in dry soil. The rest are shade-dwellers that will turn your dark corners into green spots.
1. Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum)
| Sun | Full sun |
| Water | Low, drought-tolerant |
| Height | 2-3 in (5-7 cm) |
| Bloom | Early to mid-summer |
| Zones | 4-9 |
This is my pick for sunny walkways. It forms a carpet so tight that weed seeds can’t even touch the soil.
I planted mine between the stepping stones on my path. Every time I walk over them, they release a warm, herbal scent that reminds me of my grandmother’s kitchen. (Seriously, it’s almost unkillable once established.)
Tip: Plant the plugs about 8 inches (20 cm) apart instead of the recommended 12. They’ll knit together much faster, which means you’ll do less weeding in that critical first summer. For more information, you can read the North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox entry for Thymus serpyllum.
2. Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans)
| Sun | Part shade to full shade |
| Water | Medium, consistent |
| Height | 6-9 in (15-23 cm) |
| Bloom | Late spring to early summer |
| Zones | 3-9 |
Ajuga is a runner. It spreads by sending out horizontal stems that root as they go, creating a thick barrier that blocks out light.
The dark bronze foliage is what makes this one stand out. It contrasts beautifully with green lawn edges.
Warning: Because it spreads so fast, it can creep into your lawn if you don’t keep it bordered. Use a hard plastic or metal edging to keep it contained.
3. Creeping Phlox (Phlox subulata)
| Sun | Full sun |
| Water | Medium |
| Height | 4-6 in (10-15 cm) |
| Bloom | Mid to late spring |
| Zones | 3-9 |
If you have a sunny slope where grass won’t grow, plant this. It spreads into a dense, needle-like mat that keeps the soil in place.
In the spring, it erupts into a sheet of pink or purple blooms.
I’ve found it doesn’t mind poor, rocky soil. It actually seems to prefer it over rich garden beds.
4. Spotted Deadnettle (Lamium maculatum)
| Sun | Part shade to full shade |
| Water | Medium, well-drained |
| Height | 6-8 in (15-20 cm) |
| Bloom | Late spring to summer |
| Zones | 3-8 |
The silver-variegated leaves of Lamium look like they’re glowing in the dark. It is my favorite choice for brightening up the base of tall shrubs.
Worth every inch of space.
It forms a loose but dense cover that easily suppresses small weeds.
Tip: Trim the plants back by half after the first flush of flowers to encourage fresh, dense foliage growth.
5. Stonecrop (Sedum kamtschaticum)
| Sun | Full sun |
| Water | Low, very dry |
| Height | 4-6 in (10-15 cm) |
| Bloom | Mid-summer |
| Zones | 3-9 |
This is a succulent ground cover. Its thick, fleshy leaves store water, making it the perfect choice for hot spots along concrete paths.
It creates a dense, low-growing rug that weeds simply can’t penetrate.
I’d start with this if you only have a rocky, dry spot where nothing else lives.
6. Snow-in-Summer (Cerastium tomentosum)
| Sun | Full sun |
| Water | Low |
| Height | 6-12 in (15-30 cm) |
| Bloom | Late spring |
| Zones | 3-7 |
This plant gets its name from the mass of white flowers that cover its silvery felted leaves. The carpet looks like a snowdrift in June.
It handles dry, sandy soil without complaining.
The woolly leaves are excellent at shading the soil surface and stopping weed germination.
7. Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense)
| Sun | Full shade to part shade |
| Water | Medium to wet |
| Height | 6-12 in (15-30 cm) |
| Bloom | Spring (inconspicuous) |
| Zones | 3-7 |
Here is a native choice that I absolutely love. It has large, velvety, heart-shaped leaves that form an overlapping canopy.
I found a wild patch growing under the mature deciduous trees at the back of my yard. (And it doesn’t mind the clay soil at all.)
The heavy leaves act like a physical umbrella. They block all light from reaching the soil below. You can learn more about its growth habit on the North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox entry for Asarum canadense.
8. Brass Buttons (Leptinella squalida)
| Sun | Full sun to part shade |
| Water | Medium, moist |
| Height | 1-2 in (2-5 cm) |
| Bloom | Summer |
| Zones | 4-10 |
This is a tiny plant with a massive impact. The leaves look like miniature fern fronds, tinted a dark, smoky bronze.
It creeps along the ground to form a carpet that is only an inch tall.
Honestly, it’s overrated if you put it in dry soil because it will thin out and let weeds back in. Keep it damp.
9. Irish Moss (Sagina subulata)
| Sun | Full sun to part shade |
| Water | Medium, consistent |
| Height | 1-2 in (2-5 cm) |
| Bloom | Late spring |
| Zones | 4-8 |
Irish Moss isn’t actually a moss, which means it can handle some sun. It forms a cushiony, neon-green mound that looks like a miniature landscape.
It is soft enough to walk on bare-foot. (Ask me how I know.)
Tip: It needs consistent moisture. If it dries out, you’ll get brown patches that weeds will quickly colonize.
10. Goldenstar (Chrysogonum virginianum)
| Sun | Part shade to full shade |
| Water | Medium |
| Height | 3-6 in (7-15 cm) |
| Bloom | Spring to summer |
| Zones | 5-9 |
This is another native plant that deserves more attention. It produces cheerful, star-shaped yellow flowers that continue to bloom off and on all summer.
The green leaves form a solid, low mound that shades out crabgrass.
This is the variety I’d start with if you want both weed control and long-lasting color in part shade.
11. Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)
| Sun | Full sun to part shade |
| Water | Medium |
| Height | 6-12 in (15-30 cm) |
| Bloom | Spring |
| Zones | 2-9 |
This is one of the toughest native plants I grow. It sends out long, red runners that zip across the soil and root quickly.
It forms a dense cover that shrugs off weed competition. Not even close.
Plus, you get tiny, sweet strawberries in early summer.
12. Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum)
| Sun | Part shade to full shade |
| Water | Medium, moist |
| Height | 6-12 in (15-30 cm) |
| Bloom | Late spring |
| Zones | 4-8 |
Sweet Woodruff is a classic shade plant. It has whorls of bright green leaves and tiny white flowers that smell like vanilla when dried.
It spreads steadily to form a soft, green carpet under trees.
I’ve found it thrives in the dry shade under shallow-rooted trees where other plants give up.
The plants that survive my forgetting to water are the ones I keep planting more of.
What I’d Pick If I Only Had Room for One
If I had to choose just one ground cover, I’d go with Creeping Thyme for sunny areas, and Wild Ginger for shade. They are both incredibly reliable and require almost no maintenance once they knit together.
If you have pets running around, you might also want to check my list of the best ground covers for dogs to see which ones hold up to heavy paws.
And remember, the key to success is preparation. While living mulch does a lot of heavy lifting, I always start with a clean slate, similar to the process I use when I set up a zero-weeding bed from scratch. Many of these plants are also featured in my guide on perennials that grow in shade, which is worth a look if you have a tricky north-facing corner.
Common Questions
1. How long does it take for ground covers to suppress weeds?
The first season is mostly settling in. By year two you’ll see fuller growth and less weed pressure. Year three is where the carpet is solid and you can put the weeding tool away.
2. Can I plant ground covers over landscape fabric?
No, please don’t do this. The runners need to touch the soil to root and spread. If you put fabric down, the plants can’t spread, and weeds will just grow on top of the fabric anyway.
3. Will ground covers choke out my existing perennials?
Most low-growing ground covers are fine. They live under larger shrubs and perennials, acting like a living mulch. Just keep aggressive runners like Ajuga away from delicate, small plants.
Two Years In, Here’s What I Still Plant Every Spring
Every garden has its own challenges, but switching to living ground covers made my yard feel like a garden instead of a chore. If you’re tired of buying bags of wood mulch every spring, start with a small patch of Creeping Thyme. You’ll never go back.
— Anh