Year-Round, Full-Sun Ground Cover With Flowers
Year-round, full-sun ground cover with flowers provides interest in your landscape 12 months a year. These perennials offer a simple way to beautify a barren space or to go green by replacing your thirsty lawn with drought-tolerant plants. Some offer flowers for a short time, while others are long bloomers. While many ground covers are low-maintenance, they typically require annual mowing, pruning or edging for best results.
Ideal for Poor Soil
Some evergreen, full-sun ground covers are ideal for poor soil. Rock rose (Helanthemum “Henfield Brilliant”) thrives in sandy soil and has orange-red blossoms from late spring to midsummer. Evergreen in mild winter climates, it requires good drainage and spreads 18 to 23 inches wide in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 9. Oregon stonecrop (Sedum oreganum) puts out yellow flowers from early to midsummer, and its leaves turn crimson-red in the summer sun. It tolerates heavy rain and spreads 12 to 23 inches wide.
Outstanding for Slopes
Help stabilize the soil on slopes with certain evergreen, flowering ground covers. Beach strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis) can serve as a lawn substitute, but its runners can encroach on neighboring spaces. It has white flowers from midspring to early summer, spreads 23 to 29 inches wide and tolerates moderate foot traffic. Creeping broom (Genista pilosa “Vancouver Gold”) bears bright-yellow flowers in late spring to early summer. It quickly spreads 23 to 29 inches wide and tolerates light foot traffic. Both evergreen ground covers grow in USDA zones 4 through 9.
Between Paving Stones
Certain evergreen, flowering ground covers are just the right choice for filling the space between paving stones. Pink pussy-toes (Antennaria dioca “Rubra”) has fuzzy pink blossoms from late spring to early summer and appreciates a good mowing after flowering. It tolerates moderate foot traffic, spreads 10 to 12 inches wide and grows in USDA zones 1 through 9. Silver New Zealand burr (Acaena caesiiglauca) puts out intriguing greenish blossoms all summer that mature to a warm copper-red. Evergreen in mild winter climates, it tolerates light foot traffic and grows 12 to 23 inches wide in USDA zones 5 through 9.
Daisylike Flowers for Sandy Soil
Enjoy cheery, daisylike flowers on some evergreen, full-sun ground covers. Lavender ice plant (Delosperma cooper “Lavender Ice”) bears loads of lavender flowers from late spring into early fall. A good lawn substitute, it requires sandy soil, spreads 12 to 23 inches wide and grows in USDA zones 5 through 9. Beach fleabane daisy (Erigeron glaucus “Albus”) has white petals surrounding a prominent yellow eye from late spring into midsummer. It spreads 10 to 12 inches wide and grows in USDA zones 4 through 9.
- Perennials.com: Sedum Oreganum
- Perennials.com: Helianthemum "Henfield Brilliant"
- Perennials.com: Delosperma Cooperi Lavender Ice
- Perennials.com: Erigeron Glaucus "Albus"
- Perennials.com: Fragaria Chiloensis
- Perennials.com: Antennaria Dioica "Rubra"
- Perennials.com: Acaena Caesiiglauca
- University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Marin Master Gardeners: The Many Benefits of Ground Covers
Victoria Weinblatt began writing articles in 2007, contributing to The Huffington Post and other websites. She is a certified yoga instructor, group fitness instructor and massage therapist. Weinblatt received her B.S. in natural resources from Michigan State University and an M.Ed. from Shenandoah University.