Ground Cover Perennials

Ground cover plants

Ground cover perennial plants keep bare soil weed free. These low maintenance perennials spread gently, providing interest with bright colourful blooms or striking foliage whilst plugging gaps and covering unsightly patches. Here we narrow down which ground cover plants really stand out from the crowd.

Which is the fastest ground covering perennial?

The fastest ground covering perennial is erigeron karvinskianus. It’s perfect for covering rocky beds and tricky dry areas in full sun with low growing, airy blooms and stems. A self seeder, this beauty will pop up in new spots in your bed.

Which perennial offers the best low maintenance ground cover?

Brunnera is a very low maintenance ground cover plant. All you need to do is delicately divide the clumps every few years to keep your brunnera plants healthy and to make new ones. The large leaves of brunnera ‘Jack Of Diamonds' keep interest throughout the year. Plant this hardworking groundcover in dry shade. See how our favourite online gardeners transform their shady areas in our plants for shade masterclass.

What ground cover perennials are good for shade?

Fill your moist shady beds and borders with bergenia. Bergenia is a great choice for clay heavy soils and makes a thick carpet of large shiny green leaves with pink or white spires in spring. Other fantastic options for moist shade are leafy hostas with their foliage in metallic greens and variegated whites, and the superbly tough hardy geraniums.

What ground cover perennials have attractive foliage?

If it’s attractive foliage you’re after you can’t go wrong with heuchera. Find coral shades with scalloped leaves from ‘Caramel’ and ‘Marmalade’ or choose heuchera ‘Mosaic’ for a lucky dip of firework colours. Another foliage win is Houttuynia cordata 'Flame', not only are the leaves visually appealing but they emit an orange peel scent when crushed.

For more information and expert care tips read our plants for ground cover guide.