Evergreen ground cover plants are low-growing and a good option to fill difficult garden spaces while adding to the beauty of your landscape. There are many choices of groundcover plants, depending on your region and the nature of your landscape.
Most groundcover plants will need minimal maintenance, are effective for suppressing weeds and preventing soil erosion. It is important to make sure that your selected groundcover plant is native to your area and appropriate for the microclimate.
The fastest growing ground cover plants!
Groundcover plants act as a foundation for your garden to sit on. You should select evergreen species to keep their foliage all year round and attract local animals. The following is a list of 9 groundcover plants for your garden:
1. Creeping Phlox (Phlox subulata)
This plant works well in many situations, from groundcover to container planting and hanging baskets. It has needle-like, evergreen foliage and white, pink or blue flowers that bloom during the spring.
It attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. The stems are spreading and therefore make it a good option for groundcover. It grows at a moderate speed therefore it may take time to fully establish in your garden.
The plant is a good option for controlling soil erosion in your land. Little maintenance is required.
- The plant reaches a height of 5 inches and spreads 2ft at full maturity.
- Thrives in full sunlight or partial shade.
- Requires well-drained soils.
- Little maintenance is required. Prune stems to encourage new blooms.
- Ideal for hardiness zones 3-9.
2. Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)
This plant is native to America. It is a low-growing shrub and an excellent ground cover in colder areas. It thrives in colder temperatures and poor soils.
The shrub produces creamy pink flowers which are replaced by red fruits. These are popular among certain bird species and small animals. The plant provides year-round interest in your garden, with alternating fruit and flower booms keeping seasonal interests from the local animal population, including bears. It is low maintenance.
- Thrives in sandy soils with low fertility.
- Requires full sunlight or partial shade.
- Ideal for hardiness zones 2-7.
3. Creeping juniper (Juniperus horizontalis)
This low-growing creeping plant is ideal for groundcover especially due to its aromatic fragrance. You can grow it around pathways or porches.
Its evergreen foliage, which is blue during the warmer months and purple-red during winter maintains perennial interest in your garden. Once established the plant is highly resistant to drought. Juniper has a strong root system, which enables it to hold on to the soil and reduce erosion along hillsides.
- Reaches a height of 6 inches and spreads 8ft at full maturity.
- Prefers full sunlight or partial shade.
- Thrives in well-drained, poor-quality soils.
- Extremely low maintenance.
- Ideal for hardiness zones 3-9.
4. Candytuft (Iberis sempervirens)
This shrub produces white flowers which bloom during late spring and early summer. Its evergreen foliage maintains interest all year round. It is visually appealing and can therefore be a good option if you intend to improve the appearance of your garden.
The flowers attract pollinators and its foliage is interesting as a food source for small animals during winter. It is fast growing and requires little maintenance.
- It is drought tolerant and requires exposure to full sunlight.
- Reaches a height of 12 inches and spreads to 12 inches at full maturity.
- Thrives best in well-drained soils.
- Ideal for hardiness zones 4-8.
5. Wall germander (Teucrium chamaedrys)
The plant is ideal if you are looking for a groundcover with a bit of height. It has evergreen foliage which ensures year-round interest in your garden from small animals.
It is a good option for erosion control. Small purple flowers bloom around July and attract pollinators to your landscape. It is extremely drought tolerant and a great option for edging along walkways. It is low maintenance and fast growing.
- Reaches a height of 1ft and spreads 2ft at full maturity.
- Prefers full sunlight.
- Thrives in well-drained soils with small moisture content.
- Ideal for hardiness zones 5-9.
6. Japanese Spurge (Pachysandra terminalis)
This groundcover plant is extremely tolerant of adverse weather conditions. In the early stages of germination, it requires a lot of water to help it establish itself. It has pretty white flowers but it’s the foliage that maintains interest from local animals.
The leaves fill in more densely and therefore serve as an adequate cover for the ground in your garden. Plant in areas where it can spread easily. In colder climates, it is semi-evergreen. Resistant to most pests and deer. Due to its extreme toughness, it requires regular pruning during the spring.
- Thrives best in acidic, well-drained soils.
- Reaches a height of 10 inches at full maturity.
- Requires partial or full shade.
- Ideal for hardiness zones 4-8.
7. Winter creeper (Euonymus fortunei)
The plant is fast growing and therefore perfect for groundcover. Its evergreen foliage is attractive to small animals and insects. It forms a dense bush of dark green leaves which turn gold and pink during the fall and winter.
It produces small green flowers in early summer. It is versatile and resilient in tough climates. It can be used as a low hedge, edging along paths, an erosion control along hillsides and as trailing groundcover. You should pick a less aggressive species of the plant that will not dominate your garden.
- Reaches a height of 1-2ft and spreads 3-4ft at full maturity.
- Requires exposure to full sunlight.
- Thrives best in well-drained soils with medium moisture.
- Ideal for hardiness zones 5-8.
8. Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum)
Highly tolerant of drought and heat and therefore thrives in hot areas with low rainfall. It is low spreading and produces foliage that turns a bronze color during fall and winter.
Also produces flowers that bloom in late June and July. These flowers attract pollinators during the summer. It is best to prune back the stems once the blooms have faded to allow room for growth. You can plant along pathways, flower bed edges and in containers. It requires little maintenance. Resistant to rabbit and deer.
- Reaches 3 inches high and 12 inches wide at full maturity.
- Thrives in full sunlight.
- Grows in well drained soils, preferably alkaline or neutral.
- Ideal for hardiness zones 4-8.
9. Trailing Periwinkle (Vinca minor)
It is tough, low maintenance, and relatively pest free. Periwinkle produces broadleaf foliage and flowers which bloom during the spring.
You should plant during early spring, to ensure it maintains colorful flowers throughout the summer months and grows a strong root system to increase its resilience to tough winter conditions. You can grow it along walls to increase the visual appearance of your garden.
It is fast growing and this will cover the ground relatively quickly. It is a good choice for growing along hillsides to control erosion. It is however vulnerable to pests such as aphids and spider mites.
- Reaches a height of 3-6 inches and spreads 18 inches at full maturity.
- Requires full sunlight or partial shade.
- Thrives best in loamy or sandy, alkaline, well-drained soils.
- Ideal for hardiness zones 4-9.
Conclusion
There are many evergreen ground cover plants that you can choose for your garden. They can be used to increase the visual interest of your landscape, fill in crevices and empty spaces on your land and control erosion along hillslopes. Make sure that the groundcover plant is suitable to your local microclimate and does not require a lot of maintenance.
