10 Fast-Growing Ground Cover Plants To Quickly Transform Your Garden

Fill in empty spaces in your garden with these pretty ground covers.

Phlox subulata flowers
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Ground covers are important as part of landscaping design. They serve as an alternative to grass and can help fill in areas with exposed soil in your yard. Ground covers help protect the soil, reduce erosion, and minimize weeds from sprouting. Many are drought-tolerant, thrive in a variety of soil conditions, and are all-around low-maintenance plants. Plus, they can provide important food sources for pollinators, such as bees, birds, and butterflies. 

Below, experts are sharing their picks for fast-growing ground cover that will help transform your yard.

01 of 10

Blue Star Creeper

Laurentia fluviatilis

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Blue Star Creeper is a ground cover that grows well in the shade and under trees. "Blue Star Creeper is a fantastic option for adding a pop of color with its tiny blue flowers that bloom throughout the spring and summer," says Gerardo Loayza, Founder & CEO of BACQYARD, an online landscape design company. "It spreads quickly, creating a dense mat that suppresses weeds [and] is also tolerant of various soil types and light conditions." 

  • Botanical Name: Isotoma fluviatilis
  • Sun Exposure: Partial shade
  • Soil Type: Moist, well-drained
  • Soil pH: Acidic, neutral (5.5-7.8)
02 of 10

Creeping Phlox

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A native plant to the United States, creeping phlox quickly grows quickly and is as if you placed down a mat. "Creeping Phlox spreads by runners to form a carpet of fragrant pink, purple, or white flowers in the spring," says Brad Addy, Greenhouse and QC Manager for Jackson & Perkins. "It is a fast spreader, forming a dense mat of foliage that effectively covers the ground and suppresses weeds."

  • Botanical Name: Phlox subulata
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun, partial shade
  • Soil Type: Moist, well-draining
  • Soil pH: Neutral, alkaline (6.0-8.0)
03 of 10

Creeping Thyme

Pink-flowering creeping thyme growing in a field.
Laszlo Podor/Moment/Getty Images

If you are looking for a ground cover to replace a lawn, creeping thyme is a wonderful alternative. "Creeping thyme is a hardy ground cover that withstands a bit of foot traffic and is drought-tolerant," says Kathy Jentz, author of Groundcover Revolution. This plant will attract pollinators and for anyone who lives in an area where rabbits and deer are frequent visitors to your yard, creeping thyme isn't their favorite snack. 

  • Botanical Name: Thymus serpyllum
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • Soil Type: Well-draining
  • Soil pH: Acidic, neutral (6.5-7.5)
04 of 10

Crested Iris

Wild dwarf crested iris along Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail in Spring, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, USA

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A wonderful ground cover for woodland areas, shade or rock gardens, Crested Iris is native to Southern and Midwestern United States woodland areas."This is a favorite of mine because it is very low maintenance, thrives in dry shade and produces charming, small blooms," says Olivia DiFilippo, Horticulture Manager at the Delaware Center for Horticulture

  • Botanical Name: Iris cristata
  • Sun Exposure: Partial shade
  • Soil Type: Moist, well-drained
  • Soil pH: Acidic, neutral (6.1 to 6.5)
05 of 10

Eastern Bee Balm

Close up of light pink Eastern Beebalm flowers with a bee collecting pollen

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A native plant to Southern and Midwestern states, Eastern Bee Balm is a ground cover that also entices bees, butterflies, and moths to the garden. The flowering period isn't long, typically around three to four weeks. "This ground cover can tolerate moist and dry soils. According to DiFilippo, "[Eastern bee balm] produces a beautiful light pink bloom that pollinators love." 

  • Botanical Name: Monarda bradburiana
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
  • Soil Type: Moist, well-drained, rocky soil
  • Soil pH: Acidic, neutral (6.0 to 6.7)
06 of 10

Frogfruit

Frogfruit

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Frogfruit is a fast-growing ground cover that thrives in hot temperatures and grows well in many areas in the Southern United States. "It produces small, white to lavender flowers that attract pollinators like butterflies and bees," says Loayza. These plants can manage in drought conditions, too.  According to Addy, "Its deep-rooted system allows it to access moisture deep within the soil, enabling it to withstand extended periods of dryness without sacrificing its vitality or attractiveness." Loayza recommends this ground cover for pathways and any areas that have heavy foot traffic.  

  • Botanical Name: Phyla nodiflora
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
  • Soil Type: Moist, well-drained, rocky soil
  • Soil pH: Acidic, neutral (6.0 to 6.7)
07 of 10

Golden Ragwort

Golden ragwort on riverbank on a July day.

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Golden Ragwort is a ground cover with green, glossy leaves and produces pretty, small flowers. "In the spring, it sends up stems between a foot or two high that have black buds at the tip," says Jentz. "These buds soon open to reveal golden-yellow, daisy-like flowers that last for several weeks." This ground cover is versatile and adaptable to many types of soil conditions. "It looks good in a shady border or around the margins of a pond [and] does equally well in a sunny or shady perennial bed, as long as it receives adequate moisture," she says.

  • Botanical Name: Packera aurea
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
  • Soil Type: Well-draining
  • Soil pH: Acid, Neutral, Alkaline (6.0-8.0)
08 of 10

Green-and-Gold

Chrysogonum virginianum

Getty Images / Jennifer Yakey-Ault

Want a ground cover that can grow in clay or sandy soils? Green-and-Gold is a reliable option. "Green-and-Gold is a versatile and resilient option for growing in various soil types, including clay, loam, and sandy soils [and] is suitable for full sun or partial shade," says Addy. With its small, green leaves and yellow blooms, this ground cover also brings pollinators to the garden. "Chrysogonum is a fast spreader that will provide early food for pollinators," says DiFilippo.

  • Botanical Name: Chrysogonum virginianum
  • Sun Exposure: Full to partial shade
  • Soil Type: Well-draining, rich
  • Soil pH: Neutral, Acidic (5.0-6.8)
09 of 10

Lyreleaf Sage

Lyreleaf Sage - Salvia lyrata, an Alabama wildflower in the mint family that is growing in Morgan County

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A native perennial to the Eastern United States, Lyreleaf Sage makes a good ground cover for shady and sunny yards. "The basal foliage resembles that of the dandelion, but the leaves have a reddish-purple veining," says Jentz. As a bonus, this fast-growing ground cover provides food sources for pollinators. "The flowers attract bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies," she says.  

  • Botanical Name: Salvia lyrata
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun, partial shade
  • Soil Type: Moist, well-draining
  • Soil pH: Acid, Neutral, Alkaline (6.8-7.2)
10 of 10

Wild Blue Phlox

Blooming blue phlox and other flowers in a small rockeries in the summer garden.

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A native ground cover to Eastern North America, this plant is easy to care for and an important source of food for the swallowtail butterfly. "This fast growing semi-evergreen ground cover is low maintenance, produces beautiful purple/blue blooms, and is a swallowtail butterfly magnet," says DiFilippo." It loves rich, humus soil but can tolerate drought well."

  • Botanical Name: Phlox divaricata 
  • Sun Exposure: Partial shade
  • Soil Type: Moist, well-draining
  • Soil pH: Acid, Neutral, Alkaline (6.8-7.2)
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