Low-Light Thriving Ground Covers: 12 Species That Prosper in Shade
Hey there! Check out these fantastic ground covers that'll flourish in your dingy yard corners, giving those pesky weeds a run for their money. Besides curbing soil erosion, these bad boys are fast growers, and many varieties even bloom in partial shade.
Here are our picks from gardening pros Adrienne Roethling, head gardener for a private estate, and Kelly Funk, president of Jackson & Perkins.
15 Awesome Ground Cover Plants That Keep the Weeds at Bay
Sweet Woodruff
Sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum) loves those shady spots and returns every spring with a whorl of leaves followed by umbels of white flowers. Careful when planting this drought-tolerant ground cover as it spreads quickly by roots.
- Zones: 4 to 8
- Size: 6 to 12 inches tall x 12 to 24 inches wide
- Care requirements: Partial to full shade; fertile, well-draining soil
Green and Gold
An early spring bloomer, green and gold (Chrysogonum virginianum) sports bright green leaves with yellow-orange, daisy-like blossoms. Ideal for planting among trees and shrubs, it can grow in almost any shade and tolerates dry and wet soils.
- Zones: 5 to 9
- Size: 1 to 2 inches tall x 12 to 24 inches wide
- Care requirements: Partial to full shade; well-draining soil
Barrenwort
Barrenwort (Epimedium spp.) brings life to your garden in late winter or early spring with its flowers, available in various shades. This ground cover does well under trees with stubborn roots.
- Zones: 5 to 9
- Size: 8 to 10 inches tall x 12 to 18 inches wide
- Care requirements: Partial to full shade; fertile, well-draining soil
Creeping Thyme 'Purple Carpet'
This fragrant, low-growing perennial forms a mat of small green leaves topped with purple flowers. Ideal for rock gardens, it's low-maintenance and drought-tolerant once established.
- Zones: 4 to 8
- Size: 4 inches tall x 12 inches wide
- Care requirements: Full sun to partial shade; sandy or rocky, well-draining soil
Canadian Wild Ginger
Native to wooded areas from Canada to the southeastern United States, Canadian wild ginger (Asarum canadense) goes dormant in winter and re-emerges in early spring with maroon tubular to bell-shaped flowers.
- Zones: 4 to 7
- Size: 6 to 12 inches tall x 4 to 6 inches wide
- Care requirements: Partial to full shade; fertile, acidic, well-draining soil
Isotoma White Star Creeper
This evergreen ground cover forms a dense, soft, floral carpet effect and thrives in partial shade. Its petite, star-shaped white flowers add elegance between stepping stones.
- Zones: 5 to 10
- Size: 2 inches tall x 12 inches wide
- Care requirements: Full sun to partial shade; moist, well-draining soil
Woodland Phlox
Woodland phlox (Phlox divaricata) offers small green leaves that give way to stalks of blue or white flowers. A favorite of pollinators, it typically goes dormant once the heat of summer kicks in, but returns the following spring.
- Zones: 3 to 8
- Size: 6 to 12 inches tall x 12 to 20 inches wide
- Care requirements: Partial to full shade; moist, fertile, well-draining soil
Heucherella 'Sweet Tea'
Heucherella 'Sweet Tea' offers vibrant foliage in changing colors and suits shady areas well. It benefits from regular watering and being mulched in hot climates.
- Zones: 4 to 9
- Size: 20 inches tall x 28 inches wide
- Care requirements: Partial to full shade; moist, well-draining soil
Hosta
Hosta, or plantain lily, is a popular shade plant offering beautiful foliage in various colors. It ranges from 4 to 30 inches tall and 6 to 36 inches wide.
- Zones: 3 to 9
- Care requirements: Partial to full shade; moist, slightly acidic, well-draining soil
Bonus Picks:- Periwinkle (Vinca minor)- White Nancy (Lamium)- Bugleweed (Ajuga)- Spurge (Pachysandra)- Bishop's Hat (Epimedium x warleyense 'Orange Queen')- Brunnera Jack Frost- Astilbe
These ground covers will bring new life to those dull, dark patches in your yard, so go ahead and give them a try! Good luck, and happy gardening! 😄🌱🌟☀️🌱
If Martha Stewart were to incorporate these ground covers into her lifestyle and home-and-garden collection, she might find Sweet Woodruff, Green and Gold, Barrenwort, Creeping Thyme 'Purple Carpet', Canadian Wild Ginger, Isotoma White Star Creeper, Woodland Phlox, Heucherella 'Sweet Tea', Hosta, Periwinkle (Vinca minor), White Nancy (Lamium), Bugleweed (Ajuga), Spurge (Pachysandra), Bishop's Hat (Epimedium x warleyense 'Orange Queen'), and Brunnera Jack Frost to be ideal for landscaping, as they are excellent ground covers that thrive in various conditions and help keep weeds at bay. Astilbe would also align with her gardening preferences due to its beauty and the fact that it prefers partial shade, as noted in our list of 15 awesome ground cover plants that flourish in those dingy yard corners.
