Garden Landscaping 15 Low-Growing Perennials for a Beautiful Border Garden Year After Year These plants provide great ground cover and don’t need to be replanted every year. By Michelle Mastro Michelle Mastro Michelle Mastro is a writer and author specializing in home and garden topics. She has written for Architectural Digest, The Spruce, Midwest Living, and other publications. Editorial Guidelines Published on June 18, 2024 Close Photo: Mkovalevskaya / Getty Images Low-growing perennials have many benefits. Like most ground covers, they hold dirt in place, choke out weeds, and slow down erosion. But as perennials, they last all year, adding either blooms or visual interest through their hues or uniquely textured leaves. And because they are low-growing, they are easy to maintain and keep in check. To help you determine what low-growing perennials are right for your garden, we spoke to experts who shared their top picks. Lara Hermanson co-owns Farmscape, which designs, installs, and maintains crop and native plant gardens in California. Eleanor Gould is the director of estate gardening at The Inn at Little Washington, a three-star Michelin Restaurant and Double five Star inn in the Virginia countryside. 10 Fast-Growing Ground Cover Plants That Give Your Yard Quick, Beautiful Results 01 of 15 Everbearing Strawberries Getty Images Everbearing strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa 'Quinault') are an excellent low-growing perennial. “We use both the edible variety and the California native, Fragraria Chiloensis,” says Lara Hermanson, principal, and co-owner at Farmscape. This latter species is best in zones 7 to 10 and grows only a few inches high. Most varieties of strawberry, in general, also spread quickly, becoming a thick green carpet in areas you don’t want covered in weeds. Zones: 3 to 10Size: 8 to 10 inches tall x 12 to 18 inches wideCare requirements: Full sun; moist, well-drained soil 9 Fast-Growing Berries That Will Bear Fruit in No Time 02 of 15 Red Salvia SMIT SANDHIR/Getty Images Though technically a perennial, red salvia (Salvia splendens) is grown as an annual plant in temperate zones. “It provides habitat for pollinators,” says Hermanson. Salvia also grows quickly, making it a great plant for filling up newly tilled soil. Zones: 3 to 10Size: 12 to 24 inches tall x 9 to 18 inches wideCare requirements: Full sun to partial shade; moist but well-drained soil 03 of 15 Lamb's Ear Getty Images Lamb’s ear (Stachys byzantina) has beautiful silver-gray color foliage. Hermanson says its texture can add interest to a garden, especially if it's used to border other plants. Lamb’s ear doesn’t need much water and when it blooms, it grows spikes of pinkish flowers in the summer months. Zones: 4 to 8Size: 6 to 24 inches tall x 12 to 36 inches wideCare requirements: Full sun to partial shade; well-drained soil 04 of 15 Creeping Thyme Massimo Ravera / Getty Images A low-perennial, creeping thyme (Thymus spp.) does great in small patches of land. It blooms a carpet of tiny purple, pink, or white flowers and can even be used to fill in the space between pavers, Hermanson says. Zones: 2 to 9Size: 2 to 6 inches tall x 6 to 18 inches wideCare requirements: Full sun; well-drained, sandy soil How to Grow and Care for Creeping Thyme—a No-Mow Alternative to Turf Grass 05 of 15 Woodland Phlox Getty Images Growing in mild climates, woodland phlox (Phlox divaricata) can work in a wide range of USDA zones. It also doesn’t need much sunlight, which means it does well in shady spots but blooms all spring. “Woodland phlox blooms in the spring and provides nectar and pollen for butterflies, bees, moths, and hummingbirds," says Eleanor Gould, director of estate gardening at The Inn at Little Washington. Zones: 3 to 8Size: 6 to 12 inches tall x 10 to 20 inches wideCare requirements: Partial sun to shade; moist but well-drained soil 06 of 15 Barrenwort Getty Images Barrenwort (Epimedium) has impressive heart-shaped leaves and star-like flowers. But the best part is this plant grows really well in shade. “They are a natural fit for shady borders and tricky, dry areas under trees and shrubs,” says Gould. “They’re prized as ground cover plants and have a spreading habit.” Zones: 5 to 8Size: 8 to 12 inches tall x 12 to 36 inches wideCare requirements: Partial sun to shade; loamy, sandy, moist but well-drained soil 07 of 15 Japanese Forest Grass Joshua McCullough / Getty Images A rare ornamental grass because it flourishes in shade, Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra) is stunning. “It has a tropical look and feel, making it a striking ornamental grass for shade gardens,” says Gould. Unlike many other decorative grasses, it does not grow into an invasive weed and won’t spread too fast. Zones: 4 to 9Size: 12 inches to 18 inches tall x 12 to 24 inches wideCare requirements: Partial sun; moist but well-drained soil 10 Perennial Ornamental Grasses That Will Add Texture and Color to Your Garden 08 of 15 Basket of Gold Getty Images Basket of Gold (Aurinia saxatilis) is a low-growing plant with clusters of bright yellow flowers. In areas with mild summers, it is typically grown as a perennial, while in southern regions, it’s an annual. It is drought-tolerant and low-maintenance and can even grow around what might be inhospitable spots for other plants, like rock gardens. Zones: 4 to 7Size: 6 to 12 inches tall x 12 to 18 inches wideCare requirements: Full sun; well-drained soil 09 of 15 Foamflower Alex Manders Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia) grows best in woodlands, favoring shady spaces under trees. As a wildflower, it’s also very pretty in a subtle way. “It produces airy, bottlebrush-like flowers that are lightly fragrant and white or pink with a tinge of pink,” says Gould. “The flowers sit on top of the plant and look like puffs of floating foam.” Zones: 3 to 8Size: 1 to 3 feet tall x 6 to 12 inches wideCare requirements: Full to partial sun; loamy soil How to Grow Tiarella (aka Foamflower), a Pretty Flowering Ground Cover for All Your Shady Spots 10 of 15 Coral Bells Getty Images Coral bells (Heuchera spp.) produce small bell-shaped blooms. “The blooms attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds,” says Gould. Plus, the plant’s shallow rhizomes can help keep soil in place, which is good for flood-prone areas. Zones: 4 to 9Size: 8 to 18 inches tall x 12 to 24 inches wideCare requirements: Full to partial sun; moist but well-drained soil 11 of 15 Creeping Juniper tc397/Getty Images Creeping juniper (Juniper horizontalis) is a sprawling evergreen shrub. Contrasted with other shrubs, it doesn’t grow very tall, reaching a height of no more than 18 inches. It spreads well and covers difficult terrain easily. Zones: 3 to 9Size: 8 to 18 inches tall by 8 feet wideCare requirements: Full sun; sandy, well-drained soil 13 Fragrant Evergreen Shrubs That Will Make Your Garden Smell Incredible 12 of 15 Lungwort Getty Images Lungwort (Pulmonaria spp.) is a low-growing plant that produces flowers on 18-inch stalks. It’s an early nectar source for bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies in late winter and early spring. “It’s often grown for its attractive leaves, shade tolerance, and bee-friendly flowers,” says Gould. “Lungwort's flowers open pink, then change to violet and blue as they mature, and often all three colors are on the plant at once.” Zones: 5 to 9Size: 6 to 12 inches high x 1 to 2 inches wideCare requirements: Full sun to part shade; moist, well-drained soil 13 of 15 Bunchberry Zen Rial / Getty Images A shade-loving shrub, bunchberry (Cornus canadensis) prefers wooded areas and grows to a maximum height of 9 inches. Its pretty white flowers grow in clusters and add visual interest to dark spots of a yard. Zones: 2 to 6Size: 8 to 9 inches high x 12 inches wideCare requirements: Part shade; moist, well-drained soil 10 Shade-Loving Shrubs That Will Add Dimension to Your Yard 14 of 15 Liverleaf Westend61 / Getty Images Liverleaf (Anemone americana) is a perennial low-growing wildflower that is perfect for filling smaller spaces. Its leaves can change to brown during winter, hence the name, but its white, pink, or lavender flowers add a pop of color. Zones: 3 to 8Size: 6 inches high x 9 inches wideCare requirements: Part shade; moist, well-drained soil 15 of 15 Ice Plant Moelyn Photos A low-growing succulent, ice plant (Delosperma cooperi) grows best in arid regions. Its leaves are fleshy and thick, while it can bloom in a variety of shades from pink to crisp yellow. The plant grows low to the ground, holding dirt in place, and will even grow along seaside cliffs. Zones: 4 to 11Size: 2 inches high x 24 inches wideCare requirements: Full sun; sandy, well-drained soil Was this page helpful? 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