15 Easy Midwest Groundcovers
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 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
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'
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 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
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
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'
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 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
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
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 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
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
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 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
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