34 Stunning Perennial Ground Covers with Flowers: A Garden Lover’s Guide

Looking to add a splash of color and beauty to your outdoor space? Perennial ground covers with flowers are the perfect solution. These versatile plants not only provide beautiful blooms but also help suppress weeds and add texture to your landscape. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore 34 of the best flowering ground covers that will keep your garden in bloom year after year.

Key takeaways:

  • Perennial ground covers offer low-maintenance beauty and weed suppression
  • Options available for sun, shade, and various soil conditions
  • Choices include white, pink, yellow, red, purple, and blue flowering varieties
  • Both spreading and clumping growth habits to suit different garden needs
  • Many attract pollinators and add wildlife value to your landscape

What Are Perennial Ground Covers with Flowers?

Perennial ground covers with flowers are low-growing plants that spread to form a living carpet across your garden floor. These plants return year after year, providing consistent coverage and colorful blooms throughout the growing season. They’re perfect for:

  • Filling in gaps between larger plants
  • Creating borders along walkways or garden edges
  • Covering slopes to prevent erosion
  • Adding color and interest to rock gardens
  • Suppressing weeds in flower beds

Colorful perennial ground cover with flowersColorful perennial ground cover with flowers
A vibrant mix of flowering ground covers creates a living carpet of color

Now let’s dive into some of the best options for bringing your garden to life with perennial ground covers!

White Flowering Ground Covers

1. Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima)

Sweet Alyssum creates a delicate carpet of tiny white flowers with a honey-like fragrance. This low-growing plant blooms prolifically from spring through fall.

  • Height: 4-6 inches
  • Spread: 6-9 inches
  • Sun: Full sun to partial shade
  • Soil: Well-draining
  • USDA Zones: 5-9 (annual in colder climates)

Sweet Alyssum ground coverSweet Alyssum ground cover
Sweet Alyssum creates a charming white carpet of blooms

2. Candytuft (Iberis sempervirens)

Candytuft produces masses of pristine white flowers in spring atop evergreen foliage. It’s perfect for rock gardens or edging sunny borders.

  • Height: 6-12 inches
  • Spread: 12-18 inches
  • Sun: Full sun
  • Soil: Well-draining, slightly alkaline
  • USDA Zones: 3-9

Candytuft ground coverCandytuft ground cover
Candytuft creates a stunning display of white blooms in spring

3. Snow-in-Summer (Cerastium tomentosum)

This fast-spreading ground cover features silvery-gray foliage and an abundance of small white flowers in late spring to early summer.

  • Height: 6-8 inches
  • Spread: 12-18 inches
  • Sun: Full sun
  • Soil: Well-draining, tolerates poor soil
  • USDA Zones: 3-7

Snow-in-Summer ground coverSnow-in-Summer ground cover
Snow-in-Summer creates a blanket of white flowers atop silvery foliage

Pink Flowering Ground Covers

4. Creeping Phlox (Phlox subulata)

Creeping Phlox creates a stunning carpet of pink, purple, or white flowers in spring. It’s excellent for slopes, rock gardens, or spilling over walls.

  • Height: 4-6 inches
  • Spread: 12-24 inches
  • Sun: Full sun to partial shade
  • Soil: Well-draining
  • USDA Zones: 3-9

Creeping Phlox ground coverCreeping Phlox ground cover
Creeping Phlox creates a sea of pink blooms in spring

5. Dianthus (Dianthus spp.)

Also known as “Pinks,” Dianthus offers fragrant, fringed flowers in shades of pink, red, and white. Many varieties form low-growing mats ideal for ground cover.

  • Height: 6-12 inches (varies by variety)
  • Spread: 12-18 inches
  • Sun: Full sun
  • Soil: Well-draining, slightly alkaline
  • USDA Zones: 3-9 (varies by variety)

Dianthus ground coverDianthus ground cover
Dianthus offers charming pink blooms and evergreen foliage

Yellow Flowering Ground Covers

6. Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia)

This fast-spreading ground cover features round, bright green leaves and cheery yellow flowers. It’s perfect for moist areas or container spillers.

  • Height: 2-4 inches
  • Spread: 18-24 inches
  • Sun: Full sun to partial shade
  • Soil: Moist, well-draining
  • USDA Zones: 3-9

Creeping Jenny ground coverCreeping Jenny ground cover
Creeping Jenny offers bright yellow flowers and chartreuse foliage

7. Sedum ‘Angelina’ (Sedum rupestre)

This drought-tolerant succulent ground cover boasts golden-yellow foliage and small yellow flowers in summer. It’s excellent for rock gardens and sunny slopes.

  • Height: 3-6 inches
  • Spread: 12-24 inches
  • Sun: Full sun
  • Soil: Well-draining, tolerates poor soil
  • USDA Zones: 3-11

Sedum Angelina ground coverSedum Angelina ground cover
Sedum ‘Angelina’ provides golden foliage and yellow flowers

Purple and Blue Flowering Ground Covers

8. Ajuga (Ajuga reptans)

Also known as Bugleweed, Ajuga offers glossy, often colorful foliage and spikes of blue or purple flowers in spring. It’s excellent for shady areas.

  • Height: 6-9 inches
  • Spread: 12-18 inches
  • Sun: Partial to full shade
  • Soil: Moist, well-draining
  • USDA Zones: 3-10

Ajuga ground coverAjuga ground cover
Ajuga creates a carpet of purple blooms in shady areas

9. Lithodora (Lithodora diffusa)

This evergreen ground cover produces a profusion of intense blue flowers from spring through summer. It’s perfect for rock gardens or sunny borders.

  • Height: 6-12 inches
  • Spread: 18-24 inches
  • Sun: Full sun to partial shade
  • Soil: Well-draining, slightly acidic
  • USDA Zones: 6-9

Lithodora ground coverLithodora ground cover
Lithodora offers stunning blue flowers throughout the growing season

Red Flowering Ground Covers

10. Red Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum ‘Coccineus’)

This aromatic ground cover features tiny dark green leaves and masses of crimson flowers in summer. It’s drought-tolerant and attracts pollinators.

  • Height: 2-4 inches
  • Spread: 12-18 inches
  • Sun: Full sun
  • Soil: Well-draining
  • USDA Zones: 4-9

Red Creeping Thyme ground coverRed Creeping Thyme ground cover
Red Creeping Thyme creates a carpet of vibrant red blooms

11. Dragon’s Blood Sedum (Sedum spurium ‘Dragon’s Blood’)

This tough succulent ground cover offers reddish-green foliage that turns deep red in fall. Pink-red flowers appear in summer.

  • Height: 4-6 inches
  • Spread: 12-18 inches
  • Sun: Full sun to partial shade
  • Soil: Well-draining
  • USDA Zones: 3-9

Dragon's Blood Sedum ground coverDragon's Blood Sedum ground cover
Dragon’s Blood Sedum provides red foliage and pink-red flowers

Ground Covers for Shade

12. Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis)

This fragrant woodland plant produces arching stems with delicate white bell-shaped flowers in spring. It’s perfect for shady, moist areas.

  • Height: 6-12 inches
  • Spread: 12-24 inches
  • Sun: Partial to full shade
  • Soil: Moist, rich, well-draining
  • USDA Zones: 3-8

Lily of the Valley ground coverLily of the Valley ground cover
Lily of the Valley creates a carpet of fragrant white flowers in shade

13. Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum)

This shade-loving ground cover features whorls of fragrant leaves and small white flowers in spring. It’s excellent for woodland gardens.

  • Height: 6-12 inches
  • Spread: 12-18 inches
  • Sun: Partial to full shade
  • Soil: Moist, well-draining
  • USDA Zones: 4-8

Sweet Woodruff ground coverSweet Woodruff ground cover
Sweet Woodruff offers delicate white flowers and fragrant foliage

Fast-Growing Ground Covers

14. Ice Plant (Delosperma cooperi)

This succulent ground cover spreads quickly to form a dense mat of fleshy leaves. Daisy-like flowers in shades of pink, purple, or yellow bloom throughout summer.

  • Height: 3-6 inches
  • Spread: 24-36 inches
  • Sun: Full sun
  • Soil: Well-draining, sandy
  • USDA Zones: 6-10

Ice Plant ground coverIce Plant ground cover
Ice Plant provides a fast-growing carpet of colorful daisy-like flowers

15. Japanese Pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis)

This evergreen ground cover spreads via underground runners to form a dense carpet. Small white flowers appear in spring.

  • Height: 6-12 inches
  • Spread: 12-18 inches
  • Sun: Partial to full shade
  • Soil: Rich, moist, well-draining
  • USDA Zones: 5-9

Japanese Pachysandra ground coverJapanese Pachysandra ground cover
Japanese Pachysandra creates a lush evergreen carpet in shady areas

Drought-Tolerant Ground Covers

16. Woolly Thyme (Thymus pseudolanuginosus)

This low-growing thyme features soft, fuzzy gray-green leaves and pale pink flowers. It’s excellent for rock gardens and tolerates foot traffic.

  • Height: 1-3 inches
  • Spread: 12-18 inches
  • Sun: Full sun
  • Soil: Well-draining, poor to average
  • USDA Zones: 5-9

Woolly Thyme ground coverWoolly Thyme ground cover
Woolly Thyme offers soft, fuzzy foliage and pink blooms

17. Stonecrop (Sedum spp.)

Various Sedum species make excellent drought-tolerant ground covers. They offer fleshy leaves and star-shaped flowers in shades of pink, red, or yellow.

  • Height: 2-6 inches (varies by species)
  • Spread: 12-24 inches
  • Sun: Full sun
  • Soil: Well-draining, poor to average
  • USDA Zones: 3-9 (varies by species)

Stonecrop ground coverStonecrop ground cover
Stonecrop provides colorful, drought-tolerant ground cover

Fragrant Ground Covers

18. Corsican Mint (Mentha requienii)

This tiny-leaved mint creates a dense, aromatic carpet. Tiny lavender flowers appear in summer. It’s perfect between stepping stones.

  • Height: 1/4-1/2 inch
  • Spread: 12-18 inches
  • Sun: Partial shade
  • Soil: Moist, well-draining
  • USDA Zones: 6-9

Corsican Mint ground coverCorsican Mint ground cover
Corsican Mint offers a fragrant, low-growing carpet

19. Creeping Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Prostratus’)

This low-growing rosemary variety spreads to form a fragrant, evergreen mat. Blue flowers appear in spring and summer.

  • Height: 6-12 inches
  • Spread: 24-36 inches
  • Sun: Full sun
  • Soil: Well-draining
  • USDA Zones: 8-10

Creeping Rosemary ground coverCreeping Rosemary ground cover
Creeping Rosemary provides fragrant foliage and blue flowers

Evergreen Ground Covers

20. Creeping Juniper (Juniperus horizontalis)

This low-growing conifer spreads to form a dense mat of evergreen foliage. Various cultivars offer different colors and textures.

  • Height: 6-18 inches (varies by cultivar)
  • Spread: 6-8 feet
  • Sun: Full sun
  • Soil: Well-draining
  • USDA Zones: 3-9

Creeping Juniper ground coverCreeping Juniper ground cover
Creeping Juniper offers year-round evergreen coverage

21. Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)

This native ground cover features leathery evergreen leaves and small pink flowers followed by red berries. It’s excellent for sandy or rocky soils.

  • Height: 6-12 inches
  • Spread: 3-6 feet
  • Sun: Full sun to partial shade
  • Soil: Well-draining, acidic
  • USDA Zones: 2-6

Bearberry ground coverBearberry ground cover
Bearberry provides evergreen foliage and red berries

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