Canada Anemone as ground cover in wooded area.

Pollinator-Friendly Native Ground Covers

Ground cover plants are often chosen for aesthetic considerations, such as to introduce new colors or textures into a landscape. Or, they can be chosen for practical purposes to cover ground where turf grass does not thrive or is not practical.

For example, areas of a yard that are deeply shaded may be a good spot for an alternative shade-tolerant ground cover plant, such as Goat's Beard or Canada Anemone. Steep slopes that are difficult to mow may also be a good area to plant a ground cover. In arid climates where the high-water demands of grass are problematic, an alternative ground cover may replace grass entirely.

Ground cover plants can serve as a low maintenance, living weed barrier. They can also provide some much-needed color to your landscape.

When covering large expanses of ground on the landscape, the initial cost will be much greater than for sowing grass seed, but ground covers may save you money in the long run, since they eliminate expenses such as extensive feeding, watering, and lawnmower fuel and maintenance.

Ground Cover Plants Catalog

Big Leaf Aster

Big Leaf Aster, Aster macrophyllus Height: 1 - 2 feet
Bloom: August, Sept
Sun: Partial Shade
Zones: 3-8
Soil: Clay, Loam, Sand
Moisture: Dry, Medium
Color: White
  Description: Big Leaf Aster (Aster macrophyllus) is the perfect plant for shady areas with less than perfect soil. Drought tolerant, it thrives in both dry sand and heavy clay soils that possess a modicum of organic matter. Spreads by rhizomes to form a ground cover. Great for stabilizing shaded hillsides and slopes. Big Leaf Aster hosts the larva/caterpillars of the Pearl Crescent Butterfly (Phyciodes tharos).

Canada Anemone

Canada Anemone, Anemone canadensis Height: 1 to 2 feet
Bloom: May, June, July
Sun: Full Sun, Partial Sun
Zones: 2-8
Soil: Loam, Clay, Sand
Moisture: Medium, Moist
Color: White
  Description: Canada Anemone, Anemone canadensis, has attractive foliage and bright white flowers of Canada Anemone provide an excellent ground cover for damp areas. Spreads rapidly by underground rhizomes to form a solid groundcover. Install plants one foot on center to create a carpet of color in one to two growing seasons.

Canadian Wild Ginger

Wild Ginger, Asarum canadense Height: 3-5 inches
Bloom: Apr, May, June
Sun: Partial Shade
Zones: 2-7
Soil: Loam
Moisture: Moist
Color: Green, Purple, Red, Brown
  Description: Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense) is a low, colony-forming perennial bears a pair of large, velvety, heart-shaped leaves. Growing at ground level in the crotch between 2 leafstalks is a single darkish red-brown to green-brown flower. The solitary flower is at ground level, hidden below the leaves.

Common Blue Violet

Common Blue Violet, Viola sororia Height: 6-12 inches
Bloom: Spring
Sun: Full Sun, Partial Shade
Zones: 4-7
Soil: Loam
Moisture: Moist
Color: Pink,Purple,Blue
  Description: Common Blue Violet, Viola sororia, is a low growing perennial with leaves and flowers that emerge directly from underground rhizomes. This violet is 4-6 inches tall with an equal spread. Leaf blades are yellowish-green to dark green and 2-3 inches long. Blades vary from oval or rounded to heart-shaped and have long petioles and rounded teeth on the edges.

Goat's Beard

Goat's Beard, Aruncus dioicus Height: 3 - 6 feet
Bloom: May, June
Sun: Partial Shade
Zones: 3-8
Soil: Clay, Loam, Sand
Moisture: Medium, Moist, Wet
Color: White
  Description: Goat's Beard, Aruncus dioicus, has large feathery plumes of flowers that rise from pinnately compound leaves. Goat’s Beard is an excellent choice for a background plant in a border or woodland garden. Spreads slowly by rhizomes to form attractive patches. Host plant to the Dusky Azure Butterfly.

Hay-Scented Fern

Hay-Scented Fern, Dennstaedtia punctilobula Height: 1 - 2 feet
Bloom: Summer
Sun: Full Sun, Partial Sun
Zones: 3-8
Soil: Clay, Loam, Sand
Moisture: Dry, Medium
Color: Green
  Description: Hay-scented Fern, Dennstaedtia punctilobula, is commonly called that because fronds release a fragrance reminiscent of fresh mown hay when brushed with a hand, crushed or bruised. It is a deciduous fern that is native to open woods and wooded banks.

Mistflower

Mistflower (Eupatorium coelestinum) Height: 1 - 3 feet
Bloom: July, Aug, Sept, Oct
Sun: Full Sun, Partial Sun
Zones: 5-10
Soil: Clay, Loam, Sand
Moisture: Medium, Moist
Color: Blue, Violet
  Description: Mistflower (Eupatorium coelestinum) is an eastern U.S. native. Covered with blue-violet flowers from late summer until frost, it is low growing, creeps rapidly by rhizomes and makes a fine groundcover for shade. Also grows luxuriantly in full sun when provided with adequate moisture.

Obedient Plant

Obediant Plant (Physostegia virginiana) Height: 1 - 2 feet
Bloom: August, September
Sun: Full Sun
Zones: 3-9
Soil: Clay, Loam, Sand
Moisture: Medium, Moist
Color: Pink
  Description: The Obediant Plant (Physostegia virginiana) makes a great groundcover for damp soils. This showy member of the mint family thrives in moist soil and creeps rapidly by rhizomes to keep weeds at bay. An excellent groundcover for wet areas that is difficult to mow, plant it with Great Blue Lobelia for a great late summer color combination.

Purple Poppy Mallow

Purple Poppy Mallow, Callirhoe involucrata Height: 1 foot
Bloom: Apr through Sept
Sun: Full Sun
Zones: 3-8
Soil: Clay, Loam, Sand
Moisture: Dry, Medium
Color: Pink, Purple
  Description: Purple Poppy Mallow (Callirhoe involucrata), or Winecup, has masses of chalice shaped magenta flowers on trailing, deeply lobed foliage. Excellent as a rock garden plant or ground cover, each plant can spread up to three feet in width. Callirhoe involucrata fits well into formal gardens as well as naturalized areas. It looks great trailing over a wall.

Rose Coreopsis

Rose Coreopsis, Coreopsis rosea Height: 1 to 3 feet
Bloom: July, Aug, Sept
Sun: Full Sun
Zones: 3-8
Soil: Loam, Sand
Moisture: Medium, Moist, Wet
Color: Pink
  Description: Rose Coreopsis (Coreopsis rosea) is a showy, rare to endangered native of eastern states. Readily propagated, fine, dense green foliage gives way to numerous small pink flowers with yellow centers in mid-summer. A profuse and lengthy bloomer, Coreopsis rosea can be cut back in late summer to promote new early Autumn flowers.

Vanilla Sweet Grass

Vanilla Sweet Grass, Hierocloë odorata Height: 1 to 2 feet
Bloom: Jul, Aug
Sun: Full Sun
Zones: 3-9
Soil: Clay, Loam, Sand
Moisture: Medium, Moist
Color: Green, Yellow, Straw
  Description: Vanilla Sweet Grass, Hierocloë odorata, is considered sacred and used in Native American ceremonies; braided and burned as a smudge to purify body and soul. The glossy leaves have a pleasant vanilla fragrance. Requires a moist rich soil in full sun. Creeps slowly by rhizomes to form a patch.

Wild Geranium

Wild Geranium, Geranium maculatum Height: 1.5 to 2 feet
Bloom: Apr, May
Sun: Full Sun, Partial Sun
Zones: 5-8
Soil: Loam
Moisture: Medium
Color: Pink, Lavender
  Description: Wild Geranium, Geranium maculatum, is a clump-forming, native, woodland perennial which typically occurs in woods, thickets and shaded roadside areas throughout the State. Forms a mound of foliage that grows to 24" tall and 18" wide. Features 1 1/4" diameter, pink to lilac, saucer-shaped, upward facing, 5-petaled flowers in spring for a period of 6-7 weeks.

Wild Stonecrop

Wild Stonecrop, Sedum	ternatum Height: 6-9 inches
Bloom: Spring
Sun: Full Sun, Partial Sun
Zones: 4-7
Soil: Loam
Moisture: Medium
Color: White
  Description: Wild Stonecrop, Sedum ternatum, also called Three-Leaved Stonecrop or Whorled Stonecrop, is a small, spreading, native perennial which typically occurs in damp locations along stream banks, bluff bases and stony ledges. Grows 3-6 inches high and spreads by creeping stems which root at the nodes. Stems break away and die in winter, leaving newly rooted plants separated from the mother plant.

Wild Strawberry

Wild Stonecrop, Sedum ternatum Height: .25 - .5 inches
Bloom: April, May, June
Sun: Full Sun, Partial Sun
Zones: 3-8
Soil: Loam, Sand
Moisture: Dry
Color: White
  Description: Wild Strawberry, Fragaria virginiana, is the tastiest of wild strawberries! Small stalked white flowers bloom among trifoliate leaves in mid to late spring. The berries which appear in spring through early summer are considered to be the best tasting of wild strawberries. Fragaria virginiana is a ground-hugging plant that spreads by runners, forming patches in dry fields and woodland openings.

Further Information

 Wisconsin Native Fruit Trees
 Wisconsin Native Berry Shrubs
 Dandelion Recipes
 Use Eggshells For Your Plants
 How to Use Banana Peels in Your Garden

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