No more watering woes! Transform your yard into a lush and vibrant escape with some of the best drought-tolerant ground covers. Not only can they help to conserve water, but these low-maintenance alternatives to traditional lawns provide an attractive solution for those living in hot and dry climates. Discover how adding them to your landscape design can give you that desired oasis feel all year round – no matter what Mother Nature throws at you!
Creeping Thyme: A low-growing plant that produces fragrant flowers, creeping thyme is perfect for dry, sunny spots.
Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum), also known as ‘Mother of Thyme’, is an aromatic perennial herb that can be used as a ground cover in gardens. Growing up to two to four inches high and spreading up to two or more feet in width, the dense, small leaves of this plant give it a lush look with a slightly hairy texture. Its foliage is generally green or gray-green, and in the summertime, creeping thyme produces fragrant lavender-pink flowers that attract pollinating bees and butterflies. Perfect for dry sunny spots, this low-growing plant creates a beautiful landscape.
Creeping thyme is an excellent choice for gardeners looking for a low-maintenance solution to their plant-care needs. Not only does it thrive in full sun and partial shade, it also has moderate moisture needs and can withstand periods of drought once it is established in its environment. Additionally, its ability to choke out weeds makes it a great organic weed-control solution. Creeping thyme is a perfect option to fill in spaces between pavers or stepping stones, or even as a fragrant lawn substitute for small areas. With minimal care needs, it’s an excellent, easy-to-maintain ground cover.
Ice Plant: A hardy ground cover that is well-suited to hot, dry climates, ice plant has colorful flowers that bloom in the summer.
Ice plant, (Delosperma copperi) is a low-growing succulent ground cover that can add a vibrant splash of color to any garden. This hardy plant typically grows to be about 3-6 inches tall and can spread up to 2 feet wide. The foliage of the ice plant is fleshy and comes in shades of green, gray, or blue-gray. In the summer months, the plant produces daisy-like flowers in shades of pink, purple, yellow, or white. These flowers are not only beautiful but also attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies.
For a successful ground cover of Ice Plant, it is important to provide it with well-draining soil and full sun exposure. This plant loves hot and dry conditions and is a wonderful drought tolerant ground cover once established. As temperatures start to warm up, the best time to get planting is in the spring or early summer. Also, due to their low-growing nature, Ice Plant makes an excellent addition to rock gardens, borders around other plants, slopes, or hillsides for erosion control.
Lamb’s Ear: The fuzzy-leafed plant is drought-tolerant and makes a great ground cover for sunny spots.
Lamb’s Ear (Stachys byzantina) is a low-growing, spreading plant with a dense mat of soft, fuzzy silver-gray leaves. This drought tolerant ground cover thrives in sunny areas with well-draining soil and tolerates a range of soil types and growing conditions. Besides its attractive foliage, it produces spikes of purple or pink flowers in late spring or summer – an added bonus that attracts bees and butterflies. A great choice for pollinator-friendly gardens, Lamb’s Ear can be used as edging along pathways or borders, planted en masse in rock gardens or mixed with other perennials in cottage-style gardens.
Lamb’s Ear needs full sun to grow best, although it can tolerate partial shade in hotter climates. It loves soils that are slightly alkaline with moderate moisture levels and is drought tolerant once established – though occasional watering during dry spells will help keep it looking good. Deadheading spent blooms will encourage new growth and maintain your plants’ appearance.
Verbena: These pretty flowers belong to verbena – a drought tolerant ground cover that is great choice for sunny spots that need a pop of color.
Verbena (Verbena) is perfect for gardeners searching for a low-maintenance ground cover with eye-catching colors that bloom throughout summer. There are various species and cultivars of Verbena ranging from 6 to 18 inches in height. Most have a low growing, spreading habit forming a dense mat of foliage and sprouting clusters of small, colorful flowers – making it an ideal choice for creating an enchanting floral display..
Verbena is a tough plant that loves full sun and well-draining soil. It won’t need much attention once it’s settled in, and is known for being drought tolerant. It’s great for use as a ground cover in garden beds, rock gardens, or walkways – providing vibrant color while also helping to keep weeds at bay. Its spreading nature makes it an ideal solution for filling in spaces between other plants or covering up bare patches of soil.
Bugleweed is a hardy, drought tolerant ground cover with spikes of small, blue-violet flowers that bloom in spring.
Bugleweed or Carpet Bugle (Ajuga reptans), is a low-growing perennial ground cover that forms an impressive mat of foliage. It grows to about 6-9 inches in height with a spread of up to 2 feet wide. The glossy leaves come in shades of green, bronze, or purple, and create a stunning backdrop for the short spikes of flowers produced in spring. These blooms come in various colors including blue, pink and white – making it a much-loved addition for bees and butterflies!
Bugleweed is a hardy plant that thrives in partial shade to full sun and loves well-draining soil. It’s incredibly versatile and can adapt to various soil types, temperatures and moisture levels – making it an ideal choice for many gardens. Commonly used as a drought tolerant groundcover, it has the ability to form a dense carpet-like mat that suppresses weeds and prevents erosion. Plant it along borders or rock gardens for added texture and color, and witness its striking beauty!
Stonecrop: Also known as sedum, stonecrop is a hardy drought tolerant ground cover that can withstand harsh conditions.
Stonecrop, also known as Sedum, is a hardy and versatile plant native to Europe and Asia. Growing up to 6-8 inches tall, this low-growing perennial can easily spread out to create a dense mat of succulent foliage. With so many varieties available – from creeping groundcovers to upright specimens that can be used in borders or containers – there’s something for every gardener! The leaves are fleshy and pointed, while summer blooms come in shades of pink, white, yellow and red.
Stonecrop is a popular choice for gardeners seeking a low-maintenance, drought tolerant ground cover that will thrive in different conditions. It can tolerate heat and poor soils. It is ideal for rock gardens, container planting or edging borders due to its tidy growth habits. Stonecrop’s evergreen foliage provides year-round interest and beauty in your garden. As an added bonus, it’s great for attracting pollinators like bees and butterflies into your garden.
Yarrow: With its feathery foliage and clusters of flowers, yarrow is a striking drought tolerant ground cover perfect for sunny spots.
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is a hardy and versatile perennial that makes an excellent drought tolerant ground cover. Growing up to 1-3 feet tall and 1-2 feet wide, this plant has ferny foliage that’s typically green or gray-green in color. Plus, on top you’ll find showy flower heads composed of many tiny, tightly-packed flowers in white, pink, yellow and red.
Yarrow is a resilient plant that can thrive in various growing conditions – though it prefers full sun and well-draining soil. It is a famously drought tolerant ground cover that can handle hot summers and cold winters. Perfect for herb gardens or mixed borders, Yarrow is also attractive to pollinators like bees and butterflies – as well as being suitable for medicinal purposes such as treating minor wounds or digestive disorders.
Lantana: This colorful ground cover produces clusters of small flowers in shades of red, orange, yellow, and pink.
Lantana is a versatile plant that makes a great drought tolerant ground cover in gardens. This evergreen shrub typically grows 1-3 feet tall and spreads out 2-4 feet wide, coming in a range of colors from pink to yellow, orange, red and purple. The flowers are small but cluster together to form round clusters up to 2 inches in diameter.
Thriving in full sun and well-draining soil, Lantana can easily take the heat once established and requires little maintenance. Its quick spreading habit makes it great for filling large areas with vibrant colors, while its nectar-rich flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds. It’s also an ideal choice for rock gardens or as an edging plant along walkways or borders – making it perfect for gardeners who want an easy ground cover that adds color and wildlife to their garden.
Creeping Jenny: A bright, cheery drought tolerant ground cover that thrives in sunny gardens.
Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia) is an evergreen ground cover from the Primulaceae family, native to Europe and Western Asia. Grown up to 2-4 inches tall with a spread of 12-18 inches, it has bright green rounded leaves plus small yellow flowers that bloom during summer months – adding a beautiful touch of color to any garden.
With attractive and dense mats forming quickly, Creeping Jenny is ideal for gardens. It prefers partially shaded areas with well-draining soil but can also tolerate full sun if given enough moisture. Popular uses include border plants or planting between stepping stones to create a natural pathway.
Woolly Thyme: This low-growing plant has silver-gray foliage that adds texture to a garden and can tolerate dry conditions.
Woolly Thyme (Thymus pseudolanuginosus) is an excellent ground cover that forms a dense mat of tiny, hairy leaves with a grayish-green color. Growing only 1-2 inches tall and spreading up to 18 inches wide, its soft fuzzy leaves give this plant its woolly appearance. Its pink or blue tubular flowers are very attractive to bees and butterflies.
Woolly Thyme thrives in hot and sunny locations. This drought tolerant ground cover does not grow quickly, but your patience will be well rewarded. Preferring well-drained soil and full sun exposure, it’s often used as ground cover in rock gardens or between stepping stones – forming a dense mat that suppresses weeds. It also works well as an edging plant or lawn replacement.
Mazus: This drought tolerant ground cover has small, bright green leaves and delicate purple or white flowers, and can thrive in dry soil.
Mazu (Mazus reptans), also known as Creeping Mazus, is an attractive and unique ground cover that will add interest to any garden. Growing only two inches tall, its bright green foliage forms a dense mat that stays green all year round. Its small snapdragon-like flowers come in shades of blue, purple, or white and bring a splash of color to the landscape.
Mazu prefers sunny to partly shaded locations and moist soil conditions. This drought tolerant groundcan be used to fill in between flagstones or pavers as well as serve as an alternative lawn in shaded areas where grass may not grow well. It will help deter weed germination and reduce soil erosion once established. Its low-growing habit makes it perfect for edging pathways or borders and it can also be used as a filler in rock gardens or mixed borders.
Blue Star Creeper: This low-growing plant has small blue flowers and can spread quickly to cover large areas.
Blue Star Creeper (Isotoma fluviatilis) is a low-growing perennial ground cover that forms a dense mat of deep green foliage adorned with delicate pale blue to purple star-shaped flowers. It typically grows to a height of 3 inches (7.5 cm) and can spread up to 2 feet (60 cm) wide, making it an excellent choice for filling in gaps between stepping stones or as an alternative lawn. This fast-spreading ground cover can tolerate foot traffic, making it ideal for high traffic areas.
Blue Star Creeper flourishes in full sun to partial shade and prefers well-drained soil that is kept constantly moist. It’s easy to care for and requires minimal maintenance once established. Commonly used as ground cover in rock gardens, along pathways, or as a lawn substitute where grass may struggle to grow.
Drought-resistant ground covers can help you create a beautiful and sustainable garden that thrives even when you cut back on the water. Whether you choose low-growing succulents, spreading groundcovers, or ornamental grasses, these plants help you control soil erosion, save water and create a wonderful outdoor space.
So why not give it a try and see how these hardy and beautiful plants can transform your landscape today?