These plants feature vibrant flowers, cheerful berries, interesting leaves, a pleasing aroma, andevergreen foliage.
They range in size and soil preferences, and some are evendrought-tolerant.
Here are some of the best full-sun ground covers that are easy to grow in your yard.
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The best way to enjoy its refreshing smell is to walk on it.
Along with lots of sun, creeping thyme generally prefers poor soil with sharp drainage.
If the plant becomes woody, give it a substantial pruning to rejuvenate growth.
The Spruce / David Beaulieu
‘Six Hills Giant’ has a mounding growth habit and bears numerous small flowers.
If you cut it back after its first bloom, it should flower for most of the growing season.
Its leaves fill the air with a lemony scent when they’re brushed or bruised.
The Spruce / LetÃcia Almeida
If you count the flower spike, it can reach around 18 inches (46 centimeters) tall.
The main attraction is the plant’ssilvery leaves, which are fuzzy and velvety like the ears of a lamb.
But “creeping” in the name indicates where this plant parts ways with cotoneaster.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
These are short, surface-hugging plants that are excellent for controlling soil erosion on sunny hillsides.
They’re also fairly low-maintenance.
Once the blooms fade, cut back the plant by about a third to promote more flowering.
The Spruce / David Beaulieu
You also can cut it back if the plant gets too leggy.
Silver Mound Artemisia
Silver mound artemisia (Artemisia schmidtiana) is strictly afoliage plant.
There is no flower spike to deal with when growing this ground cover that loves full sun.
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Where lamb’s ears sport a coarse plant texture, silver mound has a fine texture.
To keep this plant looking its best, give it a slight pruning as summer begins.
And unlike actual snow, full sun is what helps this plant thrive.
The Spruce / David Beaulieu
The herbaceous perennial blooms profusely in early summer with pristine white flowers.
Ice Plant
People sometimes have trouble growing the ice plant (Delosperma cooperi).
It is asucculent, but cold is typically not the problem.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
The issue is you have to provide it with sharp drainage.
But unlike ice plants, Angelina sedum is not grown for its flowers.
The plant does bloom, but the flower stalks are gangly.
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Many gardeners prefer to remove them after the flowers fade for aesthetic reasons.
It is the foliage that counts with this ground cover.
It is golden to chartreuse, turning more golden with increased sun.
The Spruce / Autumn Wood
That might not sound like a ground cover to you.
It is indeed a shrub, but it is calledhorizontalisfor a reason.
Plus, its bright red berries are numerous enough to furnish considerable ornamental value to a landscape.
The Spruce / Letícia Almeida
This plant thrives in full sun and, once established, is drought-tolerant.
This plant does well as a low ground cover or sidewalk edging.
It can tolerate foot traffic well.
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It features a unique, pewter foliage that blooms with clusters of tiny yellow flowers.
This west coast native grass can grow up to 9" tall and forms a dense cover.
Weeds generally will not compete with this easy-to-grow plant.
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It can even work as a grass substitute.
It can also be a good choice for rock gardens or containers.
This plant is both deer and rabbit-resistant.
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Because of this, it can choke out weeds.
Since it tends to spread, you’ll need to be on top of pruning it.
Bugleweed blooms with blue, violet, or purple flower spikes.
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It can climb and reach up to 80 feet high.
This aggressive plant is considered invasive, but is very easy growing, requiring little to no care.
It can be pruned with clean and sharp scissors to keep under control.
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Creeping Phlox
Creeping phlox (Phlox stolonifera)is a flowering ground cover that’s low-forming.
Creeping phlox blooms with clusters of flowers that attract pollinators.
While pruning is optional, trimming back foliage after the blooming season is over can create a neater appearance.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
It’s a perennial in warmer climates and annual in cooler climates and is known for creeping.
The low-sprawling plant spreads up to 6 to 10 feet and has broadleaf foliage with white, bell-shaped flowers.
Ajuga is one of the fastest growing ground covers that can thrive in full sun.
The Spruce / Cara Cormack
It also grows well in most soil conditions.
The most budget-friendly full-sun ground cover is creeping thyme.
Not only is it low-maintenance, it is also drought-tolerant and can tolerate foot traffic.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
The best ground cover to choke out weeds is generally one that spreads quickly and is dense.
Some options include thyme, creeping phlox, creeping red fescue, and bugleweed.
How an increase or reduction of juniper covers alters rangeland hydrology,Texas A&M University AgriLife
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