Botanic Garden >> Gardening > >> Question and Answer >> Landscaping and Design

Low-Cost Groundcovers Under 18 Inches That Spread Fast

Need cheap, fast-spreading groundcover under 18" that eliminates mowing? Here are the workhorses.

Top Picks

Clover: Bee magnet, nitrogen-fixer, tough
Creeping Charlie: Aggressive, shade-tolerant, can be invasive
Thyme: Fragrant, drought-tough, culinary bonus
Pachysandra: Shade classic, dense, evergreen
Sedum: Sun, drought-proof, hates wet feet

Match to Conditions

Sun + dry = sedum/thyme. Shade = pachysandra/clover. Contained area = creeping Charlie (with edging). All spread faster than grass and need zero mowing.

Landscaping and Design: Red Apple Groundcover Yellowing in San Diego: Iron Deficiency and Watering; Reviving Drought-Stressed Groundcovers in Virginia: pH Testing, Fertilizing, and Spray Feeding; Sun-Tolerant Ground Covers to Replace Pachysandra; Planting Sedum 'Gold' and Baby Tears in Zone 7: Timing and Care; Sedum 'Gold' and Baby's Tears: Outdoor Planting in Zone 7 NC; Weed Management in Established Groundcovers: Pre-Emergents and Spot Treatment; Replacing Pine Straw Mulch in North Carolina: Better Options; Groundcover Maintenance: To Mow or Not to Mow?; Sedum 'Weihenstephaner Gold' and Baby's Tears: Zone 7 Planting and Care Guide; Ground Cover Seeds: Transform Bare Soil into Living Tapestry

Garden Articles

Red Apple Ground Cover Replacement for Shady Hillside

Removing the Cover on a Hydrotek 4000 Series Valve

Ground Cover Choice for a Small Shady Dog Yard: Stamped Concrete vs. Artificial Turf

Landscaping a Yard Mound: Ground Cover Solutions for a 9-Foot Berm

Groundcover for Rough, Rocky, Poison Ivy Field

Grass vs. Groundcover on a Condo Slope: Maintenance, Sun, and HOA Rules

Artificial Ground Cover for a Steep, Sunny Santa Barbara Slope

Plants

Converting Sloped Lawn to Juniper Groundcover Without Herbicide

Stone Mulch Heat Concerns: Protecting Plant Roots with a Wood Mulch Buffer

Groundcover and Landscape Roses for Steep Slope Behind Pergola

Walkable Groundcovers for Part Shade Under Pines in Coastal California

Best Ground Covers for a Sunny Miami Side Yard

Designing a Perennial Garden with Daylilies, Hydrangeas, and Crape Myrtle in Zone 6b

Spot-Treating Weeds in Ground Cover: The Paintbrush Method