The 15 Best Low-Maintenance Ground Cover Plants for Your Property

If you’re tired of mowing, watering, fertilizing, and apologizing to your neighbors for your patchy lawn, it might be time to let ground covers do the work for you. Low-maintenance ground cover plants can carpet tricky spots in green, suppress weeds, prevent erosion, and even add flowers and fragrance all while demanding far less attention than traditional turf.

Landscape pros and garden editors increasingly recommend replacing part (or all) of a lawn with tough, spreading plants like creeping thyme, sedum, ajuga, and creeping juniper. These plants handle heat, drought, and poor soil better than grass and are especially useful on slopes, under trees, or in narrow strips that are annoying to mow.

Below you’ll find 15 of the best low-maintenance ground cover plants for sun, shade, and everything in between, plus real-world tips to help you choose the right mix for your property.

What Makes a Ground Cover Truly Low-Maintenance?

“Low-maintenance” doesn’t mean “plant it and forget it forever,” but the best ground covers share a few traits that keep your workload small:

• Perennial and winter-hardy: They come back every year in your USDA hardiness zone, so you’re not replanting constantly.
• Dense, spreading growth: They form a living mulch that shades out weed seeds and stabilizes soil on slopes.
• Modest water needs: Once established, many of the best options are drought-tolerant and need only occasional deep watering.
• Minimal pruning or mowing: At most, a light shear once or twice a season keeps them tidy.
• Right plant, right place: Plants matched to your sun, soil, and climate simply behave better and stay healthier with less fuss.

One more important note: some classic ground covers (like periwinkle and Japanese spurge) can be invasive in parts of the United States. Always check your state’s invasive plant lists or talk to your local extension office before planting.

The 15 Best Low-Maintenance Ground Cover Plants

1. Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum)

Creeping thyme is the ground cover people fall in love with at garden tours: a fragrant, evergreen carpet that erupts in pink, purple, or white flowers in summer. It hugs the ground at 2–4 inches tall, tolerates light foot traffic, and thrives in full sun with well-drained soil.

Why it’s low-maintenance: Once established, creeping thyme is drought-tolerant, doesn’t need fertilizer, and rarely has pest or disease issues. A light shear after blooming keeps it fresh.

Best for: Between stepping stones, hot curb strips, sunny slopes, and small “no-mow” lawn alternatives.

2. Sedum / Stonecrop (Sedum spp.)

Sedums are succulent ground covers that shrug off heat, sandy soil, and neglect. Creeping varieties such as ‘Dragon’s Blood’, ‘Angelina’, and ‘Blue Spruce’ spread to form colorful mats with star-like flowers that pollinators adore.

Why it’s low-maintenance: Sedum prefers poor, well-drained soil and infrequent watering. Too much water is more of a problem than too little.

Best for: Rock gardens, retaining walls, sunny slopes, and rooftop or xeriscape plantings.

3. Creeping Jenny / Moneywort (Lysimachia nummularia)

With bright chartreuse leaves that cascade over walls and spill between pavers, creeping Jenny adds instant color and texture. It grows 2–4 inches tall and spreads quickly by trailing stems.

Why it’s low-maintenance: It tolerates sun to part shade and average soil, and a quick trim reigns in any over-enthusiastic growth.

Best for: Edging ponds, softening stone walls, and brightening shady paths. Check invasive status in your area and consider using it in contained beds or containers.

4. Periwinkle / Vinca (Vinca minor)

Periwinkle forms a dense, evergreen mat with glossy leaves and blue, purple, or white pinwheel flowers. It’s famously tough in dry shade where grass fails.

Why it’s low-maintenance: Once rooted, it needs very little water and outcompetes most weeds. An annual trim after flowering keeps it neat.

Best for: Slopes, under trees, and hard-to-reach dry shade. In warmer, humid regions, confirm it’s not invasive before planting.

5. Clover and Microclover (Trifolium repens and dwarf cultivars)

White clover and newer microclover mixes are popular as lawn alternatives because they stay low, fix nitrogen in the soil, and stay green with less water than turf grass.

Why it’s low-maintenance: They rarely need mowing, tolerate foot traffic, and naturally feed themselves and neighboring plants with nitrogen.

Best for: Sunny play areas, pet-friendly yards, and mixed lawns where you’re comfortable with a soft, meadow-like look.

6. Creeping Phlox / Moss Phlox (Phlox subulata)

Creeping phlox creates a spring “flower waterfall” on slopes, rock walls, and banks. Needles of evergreen foliage are smothered in pink, purple, blue, or white blooms in early spring.

Why it’s low-maintenance: Once established in well-drained soil, creeping phlox is drought-tolerant and requires only an occasional trim after flowering.

Best for: Sunny slopes, rock gardens, and front-of-border color.

7. Blue Star Creeper (Isotoma / Laurentia fluviatilis)

Blue star creeper forms a tight mat of tiny leaves dotted with pale blue, star-shaped flowers in spring and early summer. It stays only a few inches tall and can handle light foot traffic.

Why it’s low-maintenance: In moist, well-drained soil, it spreads quickly with minimal care. It may need edging to keep it out of beds where you don’t want it.

Best for: Shady or part-sun paths, between stepping stones, and as a lawn alternative in small, low-traffic spaces.

8. Ajuga / Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans)

Ajuga offers glossy, often bronze or variegated foliage and spikes of blue or purple flowers in spring. It creeps by runners, quickly knitting into a dense cover just a few inches tall.

Why it’s low-maintenance: Once established, ajuga tolerates shade, clay, and occasional drought. A quick thinning every few years keeps it from crowding itself.

Best for: Under trees, around shrubs, and in woodland-style beds. In mild climates, check for invasive potential.

9. Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum)

Sweet woodruff brings fairy-garden vibes with whorls of delicate leaves and clouds of tiny white flowers in spring. It thrives in part to full shade and forms a soft, green carpet.

Why it’s low-maintenance: It’s happiest in moist, humus-rich soil, but once it settles in, it mostly takes care of itself, spreading gently by runners.

Best for: Under deciduous trees and shrubs, shaded cottage gardens, and naturalized woodland edges.

10. Liriope / Lilyturf (Liriope muscari)

Liriope is a grass-like perennial that grows in tidy clumps or low swaths, depending on the variety. It produces spikes of lavender or white flowers followed by dark berries.

Why it’s low-maintenance: Liriope tolerates heat, humidity, and a wide range of soils, from dry shade to full sun. A once-a-year haircut in late winter is usually enough.

Best for: Edging paths and beds, under trees, and stabilizing gentle slopes.

11. Mondo Grass (Ophiopogon japonicus)

Mondo grass resembles a miniature ornamental grass but is actually in the lily family. Dwarf forms create a tight, tufted carpet just a few inches tall.

Why it’s low-maintenance: It tolerates shade, moderate drought, and urban conditions. It’s slow-growing, so it rarely needs division or trimming.

Best for: Shade gardens, between stepping stones, and in modern, minimal landscapes where neat texture matters.

12. Irish Moss and Scotch Moss (Sagina subulata and related species)

Despite the name, these are not true mosses. They’re tiny perennials that form a cushiony carpet topped with petite white flowers. They stay just 1–2 inches tall.

Why it’s low-maintenance: In cool climates with consistent moisture and good drainage, they need little more than occasional watering during dry spells.

Best for: Between pavers, around boulders, and in small, moist rock gardens in cooler regions.

13. Creeping Juniper (Juniperus horizontalis)

Creeping juniper is a tough, evergreen shrub used as a ground cover, especially on sunny slopes. It forms a dense mat 6–18 inches tall with foliage that can be blue, green, or gold depending on the cultivar.

Why it’s low-maintenance: Once rooted, it’s remarkably drought-tolerant and needs no mowing, just the occasional pruning of wayward branches.

Best for: Erosion control on banks, hot reflected-heat areas near driveways, and large expanses where you’d never want to push a mower.

14. Lamb’s Ear (Stachys byzantina)

Lamb’s ear is beloved for its fuzzy, silver-gray leaves that feel exactly like its name. It forms spreading clumps 6–8 inches tall, with flower spikes in summer.

Why it’s low-maintenance: It thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, shrugging off heat and poor soil as long as it doesn’t stay soggy.

Best for: Hot, dry borders, children’s gardens (kids love the texture), and silvery “moon” gardens.

15. Pachysandra / Japanese Spurge (Pachysandra terminalis)

Pachysandra is a classic evergreen ground cover for deep shade, forming a knee-friendly cushion of glossy leaves and small white spring flowers.

Why it’s low-maintenance: It grows happily where grass won’t, under dense tree canopies and along foundation walls. Once filled in, it suppresses nearly all weeds.

Best for: Large shaded areas and under mature trees. Again, check regional guidance, as it can be invasive in some areas.

Design Tips for Using Ground Covers Around Your Property

Mix Heights and Textures

Combine ultra-low “stepables” like creeping thyme and Irish moss with slightly taller options like lamb’s ear or liriope. This creates a layered look that feels intentional, not like you just gave up on your lawn one day.

Use Ground Covers as Living Mulch

Plant ground covers at the feet of trees, shrubs, and roses instead of relying on bark mulch. Dense foliage keeps soil cooler and moister, supports beneficial insects, and looks more polished.

Soften Hardscapes

Let ground covers creep between flagstones, over low retaining walls, or along driveway edges. Creeping thyme or blue star creeper between pavers instantly upgrades a basic path.

Start with Plugs, Not Seeds, for Faster Results

For many ground covers, small starter plants or plugs fill in faster and more reliably than seed. Space them a bit closer than the tag suggests if you want coverage sooner rather than later.

Conclusion: A Yard That Works Hard So You Don’t Have To

Low-maintenance ground cover plants won’t completely eliminate garden chores, but they can slash your mowing time, reduce water use, and transform bare or weedy spots into something lush and intentional. With a mix of sun-lovers like creeping thyme and sedum, shade stars like ajuga and sweet woodruff, and workhorses like creeping juniper and liriope, you can build a landscape that’s beautiful, resilient, and kind to both your schedule and the environment.

Think of it this way: every square foot of ground cover is one less square foot of grass to mow. Your future Saturday self will be very grateful.

Real-World Lessons from Using Low-Maintenance Ground Covers

So what actually happens once you swap lawn for ground covers? Gardeners who’ve been there, done that, and still have dirt under their nails tend to share a few consistent lessons.

1. Start with your “problem spots,” not the whole yard. The most successful transformations often begin with small experiments: that steep, eroding slope by the driveway, the patch of crispy grass by the mailbox, or the shady strip under the maple that has never looked good. Replacing those headache areas with creeping juniper, vinca, or ajuga gives you a quick win and shows you how different plants behave on your site before you commit to a full lawn replacement.

2. The first season is the “babysitting phase.” Even tough plants need a little hand-holding until their roots are established. Expect to water more the first year, especially during hot dry spells. After that, you’ll probably notice you’re dragging hoses around far less often than when you were babying turf grass. Many gardeners report that once creeping thyme or sedum fills in, they only water deeply a few times a summer unless there’s extreme drought.

3. Plant density is your best weed control. A common mistake is spacing ground covers too far apart to save money, then battling weeds in all the bare soil between them. If your budget is limited, cover a smaller area but plant more densely. Once the foliage knits into a solid mat, most opportunistic weeds simply don’t have the light or space to get started, and the maintenance drops sharply.

4. Foot traffic patterns really matter. Gardeners who treat creeping thyme or blue star creeper like a soccer field are usually disappointed. These plants tolerate light foot traffic, not daily sprints from kids and dogs. Reserve the toughest sections clover, microclover, or a small patch of traditional turf for heavy use and direct casual strolls through lower-traffic ground covers with stepping stones or gravel paths.

5. Expect some personality from each plant. Every ground cover has quirks. Creeping Jenny grows fast and might “jump” where you didn’t intend; lamb’s ear can look a bit tired after a humid summer and benefit from a quick grooming; pachysandra may take a couple of years to really hit its stride in deep shade. None of this is high drama, but it’s helpful to think of ground covers as living roommates they all bring something great to the house, and they all come with minor habits you learn to manage.

6. The aesthetic payoff grows over time. The first year, your new ground covers may look a bit like scattered islands of plants in a sea of mulch. By year two and three, though, the islands connect. Shrubs suddenly look “anchored,” slopes look intentional instead of eroded, and the whole yard feels calmer and more cohesive. Many homeowners say the biggest surprise isn’t just that they do less yard work it’s that they spend more time outside simply enjoying how their landscape looks and feels.

If you’re on the fence, consider giving ground covers a test run in one small area this season. Document it with photos, note how much maintenance it actually takes, and use that experience as your personal blueprint for gradually turning your property into a low-maintenance, high-impact landscape.