Some put on a show of flowers while others shine with tinted foliage.

There are benefits to planting succulent ground covers rather than tropical ground covers.

Succulents generally tolerate drought and neglect, resist weeds, and add unusual texture and beauty to your landscape.

Moss rose succulent with small red and yellow flowers with tiny oval leaves

The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

Here are seven succulents that are best for ground covers.

Warning

Can succulents used as ground cover become invasive?

Some succulents can spread aggressively and become invasive.

Moss rose succulent with small red, pink and yellow flowers

The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

Moss Rose

Moss rose(Portulaca grandiflora)forms a wide mat.

Flowers come in many pastel colors.

Varieties offer single, semi-double, and double blooms.

Creeping sedum succulent climbing up rock in sunlight

The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

This plant thrives in full sun.

Its flowers open on cloudy days and “sleep” closed at night.

Moss rose establishes itself between rocks or on a wall.

Echeveria succulent with red-tipped rosette leaves closeup

The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

Deadhead to encourage blooming; deadheading will lead to self-seeding.

It is toxic to animals.

Creeping Sedum

Creeping sedum is also known as caucasian stonecrop(Sedum spurium).

Ghost plant with silvery-green rosette leaves near small plant and rocks

The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

Native to the Caucasus region of Eastern Europe, this succulent grows at a cool 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Tightly whorled leaves form an attractive ground cover and produce star-shaped pink flowers that attract butterflies.

S. spuriumRed Carpet displays red-tinged leaves andS.

Blue chalkstick succulent with thin and long silvery-green leaves

The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

reflexumBlue Spruce is blue-gray.S.

rupestre’Angelina' has spiky golden foliage tinted with red and orange.

While sedum prefers full sun,S.

Parry’s agave succulent with large silvery-green leaves with needles on end

The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

makinoi, a green-leaved species, and its golden cultivar,S.

makinoi ‘Ogon’tolerate shade and more moisture than others.

Echeveria

Echeveriaspp.

Royal Dewflower (Drosanthemum speciosum) blooms in the desert in summer.

LagunaticPhoto / Getty Images

Fleshy leaves have a waxy cuticle on the exterior.

Among the easiest succulents to grow, they are popular for a reason.

Carefully pinch the baby on your echeveria, replant, and watch your groundcover grow.

There are 150 cultivated varieties of echeveria and many colors to choose from.

This plant thrives in desert conditions and will only tolerate moisture if it dries out.

Plant in full sun and well-drained soil.

It will remain a translucent yellowish-pink in the full sun but turn blue-gray in partial shade.

The plant may turn gray with pink overtones if it is placed in excessively hot conditions.

Ghost plant produces star-shaped white or yellow flowers from its delicate, brittle trailing stems in midspring.

Plant this as a ground cover where there will be no foot traffic.

Flowers are white to chartreuse in summer.

This plant is toxic to humans and animals.

The rosette pattern is both beautiful and useful to retain water.

Native to the American Southwest and Mexico, this agave adds interest alongside boulders.

Plant it in a landscape of white rock for color contrast.

Still, some varieties of parry’s agave are hardy to 10 degrees Fahrenheit.

Agave is toxic to humans and animals.

Leaves are narrow, cool gray-green.

Flowers are so prolific that they nearly cover the foliage in summer.

Plant it in an area with no foot traffic.

Learn More

Moss Rose.ASPCA.

Safe and Poisonous Garden Plants.University of California.