Ground cover plants are very useful in the garden in stopping erosion on slopes, keeping the weeds down and providing a low growing foreground for the garden.
Creeping Wire Vine (Muhlenbeckia axillaris) is a low growing mat that spreads by rhyzomes and may be deciduous in cold winters. Can be a little invasive.
Creeping Mint; Jewel Mint of Corsica (Mentha requienii) has a very refreshing mint fragrance.
Dymondia margaretae is native to South Africa and can tolerate heat but not frost.
Scleranthus biflorus
Thyme (Thymus praecox arcticus ‘Pink Chintz’) in my brother’s garden in Portland Oregon.
Dwarf Thyme (Thymus polytrichus britannicus ‘Elfin’). Three months to 11 months old in Auburn, CA.
California Fuchsia (Zauschneria californica).
Fleabane (Erigeron karvinskianus) can reseed all over. Very tough.
Fleabane (Erigeron karvinskianus ‘Moerheimii’) will not reseed.
Jerusalem Sage (Phlomis russeliana)
Carmel Creeper (Ceanothus griseus var. horizontalis)
Heterotheca jonesii
Dalmatian Bellflower (Campanula portenschlagiana)
Canadian Cinquefoil (Potentilla canadensis)
Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)
Arctostaphylos edmundsii ‘Carmel Sur’
Mecardonia ‘Magic Carpet Yellow’
Tanacetum densum ssp amani
Dwarf Golden Oregano (Origanum vulgare ‘Aureum Prostratum’)
Teucrium cossonii majoricum
Germander (Teucrium lucidrys). Blooms in June then is cut back in August.
Euonymus fortunei ‘Kewensis’
Groundcover Rosmary (Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Prostratus’) New name is Salvia rosmarinus ‘Prostratus’
Grevillea ‘Fanfare’
Inside-out Flower (Vancouveria hexandra) Good groundcover for the shade. Native to California.
Bedstraw (Galium odoratum) Also a good shade groundcover.
Alchemilla mollis. The hairs on the leaves cause the water to bead up in this interesting pattern. For part shade.
Strawberry Geranium (Saxifraga sarmentosa) is a good ground cover for the shade and a house plant.
Ficinia truncata ‘Ice Crystal’ for part shade.
Geranium ‘Biokovo’ part shade ground cover.
Astilbe chinensis – part shade ground cover
Carpet Bugle (Ajuga reptans ‘Giant Bronze’)
Ajuga reptans ‘Multicolor’
Sarcococca hookeriana humilus is a low slow growing sub-shrub.
Genista lydia 18″ shrub that makes a good ground cover in full sun. Blooms in May.
Deutzia ‘Nikko’
Deutzia ‘Cherry Blossom’
Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’) for part shade
Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis) Bottom photo taken in the fall. Part shade
Blue Star Creeper (Pratia pedunculata) Also called Isotoma.
Marlberry (Ardisia japonica ‘Chirimen’) Low shade ground cover
Various varieties of Moss Pink (Phlox subulata)
Knotweed (Persicaria capitata) in November
New York Aster (Aster novi-belgii). This is a dwarf variety that is 12″ tall and blooms in September.
Roalia australis – very low mounding groundcover that is covered with yellow star-shaped flowers in the early summer.
Raoulia tenuicaulis
Raoulia hookeri
Lippia (Phyla nodiflora ‘Alba’)
Plectranthus ‘Irish Mocha’
Sonoma Sage (Salvia sonomensis) for hot dry areas.
Golden cultivar of Hypericum calycinum gets burned in too much sun.
St. John’s Wort (Hypericum calycinum) recently cut back.
Chrysocephalum ‘Desert Flame’
Burmese Plumbago (Ceratostigma griffithii)
Bramble (Rubus rolfei)
Falkia repens
Woolly Yarrow (Achillea tomentosa)
Euphorbia ‘Blue Haze’
Euphorbia myrsinites
Dwarf Golden Bamboo is very invasive but beautiful.
Cranesbill (Erodium reichardii) Good rock garden plant
Sedum mexicanum ‘Lemon Coral’
Snow-In-Summer (Cerastium tomentosum)
Elephant Ears (Bergenia crassifolium)
Click here for Dawn Gardens Fall Video: