If you’re looking for a way to spruce up your garden or landscape without spending a ton of time and money, look no further than perennial ground covers! These low-growing plants will provide plenty of year-round color and texture to your outdoor space and they’re easy to care for.
Here are five of the best perennial ground covers to add to your outdoor space for beautiful and long-lasting benefits!
What is a Perennial Ground Cover?
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A perennial ground cover is a type of plant that grows no more than 12 inches tall and spreads widely and densely across the ground. These plants come back year after year, meaning they provide consistent coverage to your garden space or landscape. This comes with many advantages, including:
- Any empty spots are quickly filled,
- Soil is protected from harsh wind and erosion,
- Shade is offered to help soil retain moisture,
- Roots take over the soil, reducing the chances of potentially invasive plants establishing themselves in the same spot.
5 Best Perennial Ground Covers
Another benefit of introducing perennial ground covers into your space, is that there are so many beautiful and interesting varieties to pick from. Below are five of the best!
1. Lily-of-the-Valley
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Lily-of-the-valley is best known for its beautiful white or pink bell-shaped flowers that bloom March through April and deliver a soft and sweet scent. Each individual plant grows elongated and thick green leaves that spread quickly and quite aggressively.
This herbaceous perennial likes to live in a shady area that receive plenty of moisture. This plant also appreciates slightly acidic to neutral soil. In the right conditions, it will grow up to 12 inches in height.
2. Snow-on-The-Mountain
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'Snow-on-The-Mountain' (Aegopodium podagraria 'Variegatum') has dense green and white rounded foliage, and it grows around 10 inches in height. In the early part of summer, it may bloom white flower stalks that reach up to six additional inches tall.
When it comes to planting, moist and well-draining soil will help this plant develop quickly. This perennial can tolerate slight sun and shade. If you plant it in a sunny spot, make sure it receives thorough and frequent watering. When dehydrated, snow-on-the-mountain can begin to brown. In this instance, you can trim it down with a lawn mower in the middle of summer. By fall, there should be new and quickly spreading growth.
3. Wild Ginger
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There are two varieties of wild ginger that make for excellent ground covers – Canadian and European ginger. Both of these types of wild ginger grow heart-shaped leaves and elongated green stems. However, Canadian ginger will develop leaves with a fuzzy surface, whereas European ginger leaves are glossy.
Wild ginger grows between 6 and 10 inches tall and develops large underground root systems. These woodland perennials appreciate being planted in partial shade as they are prone to sunburns. They also like humus-rich, moist, acidic, and well-draining soil. The fragrant foliage of wild ginger also attracts pollinators such as ants and beetles. Just be aware that these plants are not edible for humans!
4. Jack Frost
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'Jack Frost' (Brunnera macrophylla) grows around 10 inches tall and develops heart-shaped leaves. Its foliage is usually green, but it can also develop soft white and silver speckles or blotches. This plant develops tiny, blue flowers at the end of spring.
This perennial requires lots of moisture or it will develop brown spots on its leaves as a sign of dehydration. For this reason, it’s best to plant it in a location that receives only partial sun. Not to mention, this plant will thrive in both organic and clay-rich soils.
Pro Tip: Plant this variety to keep rabbits and deer at bay.
5. Yellow Archangel
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Yellow archangel is an aggressive grower. To help keep its growth under control, it's a good idea to go with a slower-growing and non-invasive variety like ‘Hermann’s Pride.’ This specific variety will only reach about 12 inches in both width and height at full maturity. It develops long stems with green-silver and serrated leaves.
This perennial will grow quicker when placed in moist soil, but it can tolerate occasionally drier conditions as well. Yellow archangel will develop bright yellow flowers in the middle of spring, closely resembling snapdragons. For this reason, this ground cover will bring your garden plenty of pollinators, especially bumblebees and butterflies!
Beauty, Functionality, and Sustainability all at Once
Perennial ground covers are a valuable way to beautify your outdoor space, while also adding functional and sustainable benefits. Whether you prefer a fragrant lily-of-the-valley or a showy snow-on-the-mountain, there’s a perennial ground cover that will fit all of your garden and landscaping needs!
What other perennial ground covers do you recommend? Share your ideas and experiences below!