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  1. Midwest Living
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  4. 15 Easy Midwest Groundcovers

15 Easy Midwest Groundcovers

By Kate Kruse Updated March 01, 2021
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Moss phlox

Keep weeds at bay and boost your garden's appeal with these easy-to-grow groundcovers for the Midwest.

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Moss phlox

Moss phlox

Moss phlox blooms early in the spring, carpeting the ground with flowers in shades of purple, pink or white. "Phlox subulata is perfectly well-suited to our climate," says Richard Jauron, horticulture expert at Iowa State University. "Place it at the front of your garden and watch it spread."

Zones: 3 to 9

Growing conditions: Full sun

Height: 3 to 6 inches

Spread: 1 to 2 feet

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Hosta

Hosta

Easy-to-grow hostas spring up in hundreds of varieties. "Just group a bunch of hostas together, and you never have to weed," says Esther McGinnis, horticulture expert at North Dakota State University. "They are probably the easiest groundcover to maintain."

Zones: 3 to 8

Growing conditions: Part shade to full shade

Height: 9 to 12 inches

Spread: 1 to 1.5 feet

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Geranium 'Rozanne'

Rozanne Geranium

The showy violet blooms of Rozanne make the flower a groundcover favorite. It offers easy-to-maintain, non-stop flowering from May to July. "They stay put and give repeat bloom if you shear them," McGinnis says. "Not a whole lot of effort required."

Zones: 5 to 8

Growing conditions: Full sun to part shade

Height: 1 to 1.5 feet

Spread: 1 to 2 feet

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Three-leaved stonecrop

Three-leaved stonecrop
Credit: Gustav Svensson

Three-leaved stonecrop features bunches of small, starlike flowers that give a natural succulent look. Since sedum ternatum is an early bloomer, it easily attracts pollinators and butterflies. "I'm just a fan of the succulent leaves and all the shapes and forms," says Cheryl Boyer, horticulture expert at Kansas State University. "They are so beautiful."

Zones: 4 to 8

Growing conditions: Full sun to part shade

Height: 3 to 6 inches

Spread: 6 to 9 inches

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Mazus

Mazus

Though not native to the Midwest, mazus reptans makes an excellent low-maintenance groundcover. The plant's petite purple flowers bloom in showy clusters during early- to mid-summer. Ideal for growing around stepping stones.

Zones: 5 to 8

Growing conditions: Full sun to part shade

Height: 3 inches

Spread: 6 to 12 inches

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European wild ginger

European wild ginger

This European variety of ginger displays shiny, heart-shape leaves and grows tiny greenish-yellow flowers in April and May. "Asarum europaeum offers a really nice contrast with ferns and other fine-texture perennials," says Lisa Johnson, horticulture educator for University of Wisconsin-Extension. "It's a little bit more refined than the common ginger."

Zones: 4 to 7

Growing conditions: Part shade to full shade

Height: 3 to 6 inches

Spread: 1 to 1.5 feet

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Sedum rupestre 'Angelina'

Sedum rupestre 'Angelina'

The 'Angelina' variation of stonecrop adorns a garden with its spiky, colorful leaves. Its color evolves throughout the year from yellow in the spring to reddish-orange in the fall. "It's fun just because of the vibrant colors it has," McGinnis says.

Zones: 5 to 8

Growing conditions: Full sun

Height: 3 to 6 inches

Spread: 1 to 2 feet

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Barrenwort

Barrenwort
Credit: Peter Coxhead

Barrenwort offers year-round color as a four-season plant. The leaves cast tones of crimson, green or bronze depending on the season. The plant blooms in early spring with wiry yellow flowers. "It's very vigorous-not a wimpy shade plant," says Hoosier Gardener blogger Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp.

Zones: 5 to 9

Growing conditions: Part shade to full shade

Height: 6 to 12 inches

Spread: 1 to 1.5 feet

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Threadleaf coreopsis

Threadleaf coreopsis

This vivacious plant thrives even in rocky or sandy soil and adds texture to a garden with needlelike leaves. The bright yellow, daisy-like blooms dazzle from late spring through summer. Coreopsis verticillata 'Zagreb' "is a heavy, long-time bloomer," Johnson says. "It just goes on and on forever."

Zones: 3 to 9

Growing conditions: Full sun

Height: 1 to 1.5 feet

Spread: 1 to 1.5 feet

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Daylily

Daylily

The trumpet-shape blooms of daylilies provide fragrance and color contrast to any garden. Plus, the hardy flower crowds out weeds and attracts butterflies.

Zones: 4 to 10

Growing conditions: Full sun to part shade

Height: 2 to 3 feet

Spread: 1.5 to 2 feet

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Nepeta 'Blue Wonder'

Nepeta ‘Blue Wonder’
Credit: Missouri Botanical Garden

Nepeta racemosa 'Blue Wonder' displays spires of purple blooms early in the spring that rebloom nearly all season. 'Blue Wonder' flaunts fragrant, silver-green foliage, and it allures cats as a hybrid of catnip (nepeta cataria).

Zones: 3 to 8

Growing conditions: Full sun to part shade

Height: 9 inches to 1.5 feet

Spread: 1 to 1.5 feet

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Cheddar pink

Cheddar pink

This easy-to-grow flower "practically grows on concrete," Sharp says. The fragrant plant forms a tight matte of pink, needle-like flowers excellent for cutting. As an evergreen, Dianthus 'Bath's Pink'retains its foliage in the winter.

Zones: 3 to 9

Growing conditions: Full sun

Height: 9 to 12 inches

Spread: 6 to 12 inches

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Creeping phlox

Creeping phlox

Phlox stolonifera grows tall clusters of fragrant pink or violet blooms in late summer. The easy-to-grow flower tolerates drought and thrives in wooded areas.

Zones: 5 to 8

Growing conditions: Full sun to part shade

Height: 9 to 12 inches

Spread: 9 inches to 1.5 feet

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Foamflower

Foamflower

Foamflower stages three-season interest with leaves that turn reddish-bronze in the autumn and winter. Tiarella cordifolia's tiny white or pink flowers attract pollinators.

Zones: 4 to 9

Growing conditions: Part shade to full shade

Height: 9 to 12 inches

Spread: 1 to 2 feet

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Carex pensylvanica

Carex pensylvanica

Commonly known as Pennsylvania sedge, this grasslike plant softens a garden with its dainty, draping leaves. "It's a perfect groundcover for the Midwest for a difficult situation," McGinnis says. "It's a great one for planting under trees."

Zones: 3 to 8

Growing conditions: Part shade to full shade

Height: 6 to 12 inches

Spread: 6 to 12 inches

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    1 of 15 Moss phlox
    2 of 15 Hosta
    3 of 15 Geranium 'Rozanne'
    4 of 15 Three-leaved stonecrop
    5 of 15 Mazus
    6 of 15 European wild ginger
    7 of 15 Sedum rupestre 'Angelina'
    8 of 15 Barrenwort
    9 of 15 Threadleaf coreopsis
    10 of 15 Daylily
    11 of 15 Nepeta 'Blue Wonder'
    12 of 15 Cheddar pink
    13 of 15 Creeping phlox
    14 of 15 Foamflower
    15 of 15 Carex pensylvanica

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