Ground Cover

Select Plant Type:
Botanical Name     Common Name
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y-Z ALL
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi 'Kinnikinnik'
Common Name: Kinnikinnik (Bear Bearry)
A drought tolerant creeping dwarf manzanita that matts the ground. Small, dark-green leaves. White flower clusters bloom in Spring and produce small red fruits. Grows 6 to 10 inches tall....

Cotoneaster dammeri 'Coral Beauty'
Common Name: 'Coral Beauty' Cotoneaster

Chinese bearberry has lustrous dark green leaves that contrast wonderfully with both the white 5 petal flowers
blooming April - June and the coral-pink berries (beginning Sept/Oct) it was named for.  In the winter the leaves can take on a purple tint.  'Coral Beauty' will reach only 2' in height but will spread to up to 6' making it a great groundcover.
Zone 5-7.

...

Gaultheria procumbens 'Wintergreen'
Common Name: Wintergreen Eastern Teaberry or Salal
Salal forms a dense ground cover. Dark green, glossy leaves, clusters of small white to pink blossoms. Produces aromatic red berries in Fall....

Gaultheria shallon
Common Name: Salal
Creeping evergreen plant with lustrous green leaves and contrasting reddish stems. White to pink, bell shaped flowers produce edible black berries....

GR Acorus gramineus 'Minimus Aureas'
Common Name: Dwarf Golden Sweet Flag
Dwarf grass grows in dense clumps or tufts. Slow growing foliage is only 3-4" long. Useful as ground cover or between flagstones....

GR Bouteloua curtipendula
Common Name: Side Oats Grama Grass
Drought tolerant and can grow in wide range of soils. Can tolerate alkaline soil. Grows 16 to 32 inches tall with unique flowers borne in tufts, giving interest June to October. Zone 3....

GR Calamagrostis acutiflora 'Avalanche'
Common Name: Avalanche Feather Reed Grass
Showy, silver-tipped tan plumes develop by mid-Summer. Grows in a clump which can reach 4' tall....

GR Carex buchanii 'Leather Leaf'
Common Name: Leather Leaf Sedge
Narrow, coppery gold leaves have reddish pink highlights. Grows about 18 inches tall. Does well in partial shade....

GR Carex comans 'Frosted Curls'
Common Name: Frosted Curls Sedge
Compact, weeping foliage grows in clumps. Frosted blue leaves have ruffled or curly tips. Creates illusion of falling water. 12" tall by 14" wide....

GR Carex firma 'Glauca'
Common Name: Blue Sedge
Popular, perennial, grasslike herb. Compact ornamental with silvery blue blades. Plant in partial shade. Great effect in masses, low borders, edging....

GR Carex flagilifera 'Copperleaf'
Common Name: Copperleaf Sedge
Fine-textured, reddish brown foliage mounds to 30 inches tall. This cultivar is tolerant of wet or dry sites and shady or sunny locations....

GR Carex morrowii 'Expallida'
Common Name: Variegated Japanese Sedge
Attractive leaves are striped with green and white with a drooping habit. Its mounded form makes a good edging or rock garden plant....

GR Carex morrowii 'Ice Dance'
Common Name: Ice Dance Sedge
White borders to dark green leaves grow in dense tufts. Suitable as low maintenance ground cover....

GR Carex oshimensis 'Evergold'
Common Name: Evergold Sedge
Yellow banded leaves arch from center, forming a neat compact mound of foliage 12" high. Semi-evergreen grass can tolerate both sun and shade....

GR Deschampsia Cespitosa 'Bronzeschlieier'
Common Name: Bronzeschlieier (Bronze Veil) Tufted Hair Grass
Green Spring, Bronze Fall color. Mound with profusion of infloresences. 1-3 foot mounds. Cooler climates. Zones 4-7...

GR Deschampsia Cespitosa 'Northern Lights'
Common Name: Northern Lights Tufted Hair Grass
Pink, white, and gold variegated foliage. Airy panicles change from green to yellow and have slight purplish cast. Grows 3 to 4'....

GR Elymus arenarius 'Glaucus'
Common Name: Blue Lyme Grass
Vigorous, semi-evergreen cool season grass valued for its blue-gray flat leaves to 1'. Spikes of wheat-like gray flowers in summer....

GR Festuca amethystina
Common Name: Large Blue Fescue (Species)
Mound forming, semi-evergreen perennial. Plant in well drained soil in full sun. Water during hot dry weather. Divide frequently to maintain vigor--remove flowers (grown for foliage)....

GR Festuca amethystina glauca 'Boulder Blue'
Common Name: Boulder Blue Tufted Blue Fescue
Brightest blue of all fescues. Dense, compact growth to 1 foot. Drought tolerant but needs well drained soil. Zones 4-9....

GR Festuca glauca 'Golden Toupee'
Common Name: Golden Toupee Fescue
Tufted ornamental grass makes excellent border or rock garden planting. Dense, short, hair like blades are chartreuse and mature to straw color....

GR Festuca ovina glauca 'Elijahs Blue'
Common Name: Elijah's Blue Fescue Grass
Hardy, fine textured, clumping blue ornamental grass. Low growing blue-gray tufted grass adds texture and color to the garden....

GR Hakonechloa macra 'Albo Striata'
Common Name: 'Albo Striata' Japanese Forest Grass

Hakonechloa macra 'Albo Striata' is a pretty addition to any bed needing a low growing splash of color.  This grass likes moist, humus rich soil.  Zone 5-9.

...

GR Hakonechloa macra 'All Gold'
Common Name: 'All Gold' Japanese Forest Grass

Hakonechloa macra 'All Gold' is a pretty addition for a low growing splash of color.  It will only get 14x16" in size.  Full sun to partial shade.  In full sun bright yellow w/green strips, red in the fall.  In partial shade, creamy yellow with pink flush in the fall.  Prefers moist, rich soil.  Zone 5-9.

...

GR Helictotrichon sempervirens
Common Name: Blue Oat Grass
An evergreen grass noted for its attractive metallic-blue foliage. Panicles of showy flowers appear in early summer and dry to a golden wheat color. Prefers well drained, moist soils....

GR Helictotrichon sempervirens 'Sapphire'
Common Name: Sapphire Blue Oat Grass
An evergreen grass noted for its attractive silver-blue foliage. Panicles of showy flowers appear in early summer and dry to a golden wheat color....

GR Imperata cylindrica 'Red Baron'
Common Name: Japanese Blood Grass
A strikingly colored red and chartreuse small perennial grass. Rich red late summer foliage intensifies in autumn. Clumping habit is not invasive. Plant in well drained soils....

GR Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light'
Common Name: Morning Light Maiden Grass
Narrow, green blades with clear white margins gives characteristics to this clump-forming perennial. Delicate reddish-bronze plumes in late summer....

GR Miscanthus sinensis purpurascens 'Red Silver'
Common Name: Red Silver (Rotsilber) Japanese Silver Grass
Produces silver-red panicles high above the foliage. These turn a brilliant red as season advances. Grows in compact clusters to 4' high. Good for screening purposes....

GR Ophiopogon japonicus 'Nanus'
Common Name: 'Nanus' Dwarf Mondo Grass
...

GR Panicum virgatum 'Heavy Metal'
Common Name: Heavy Metal Switch Grass
Cumping, deciduous grass with metallic blue leaves and airy flowers which rise above the foliage through winter. Leaves turn bright yellow in fall....

GR Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln'
Common Name: Hameln Dwarf Fountain Grass
This compact growing cultivar produces greenish-white spikelets that turn grey-brown when mature. Dark green leaves turn yellow in autumn....

GR Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Moudry'
Common Name: Moudry Black Flowering Fountain Grass
Rich, glossy green blades are a handsome backdrop for the large, almost black foxtail-like flower spikes. Adds texture and color to borders....

GR Pennisetum oriental
Common Name: Oriental Fountain Grass
Fine-textured, green foliage grows 12 to 24 inches tall. White flowers bloom July through Fall. Needs well drained soil, do not plant crown below soil surface....

GR Phalaris arundinacea Strawberries & Cream
Common Name: Strawberries and Cream Ribbon Grass
Green and white foliage can be blushed with pink. Stems and flowers are white. Fast spreader and vigorous grower to 3' tall....

GR Sesleria caerulea
Common Name: Blue Moor Grass
Bi-Color foliage is blue topside and dark green underside. Dark purple flowers appear early Spring. Grows in clumps 14 to 16 inch tall at bloom time. Performs well in most soils....

GR Stipa gigantea
Common Name: Giant Oat Grass; Giant Mexican Feather Grass
Green foliage grows in clumps; statuesque seed stalks to 8' tall. Seed heads bleach to straw-gold color. Drought tolerant. Plant in sunny, well drained locations. Zone 7-10....

GR Stipa tenuissima 'PonyTails'
Common Name: Ponytails Mexican Feather Grass
Exquisitely delicate, soft, bright green foliage is over topped by billowy seed plumes to 12" long that start green, turn gold to honey-brown. Perennial in Zones 7 & up, annual colder areas....

Helleborus X Orientalis 'Royal Heritage'
Common Name: Royal Heritage Hellebore
White blooms appear late winter or early spring, fade to burgundy. Low mound 18" tall by 30" wide. Low maintenance and pest free....

Mahonia repens
Common Name: Dwarf Oregon Grape
Masses of upright, irregular stems 1-3' high. Glossy deep green holly-like leaves; new growth has bronzy-red coloring, winter color is purplish-red. Yellow flowers, red berries....

Vinca minor 'Alba'
Common Name: Alba Periwinkle
Ground hugging viney growth covers the earth. White flowers appear mid to late winter depending on climate. Blooms throughout growing season if not moisture stressed....

Vinca minor 'Bowles'
Common Name: Dwarf Blue Periwinkle
Evergreen perennial groundcover with attractive dark green foliage and bright blue flowers. Blooms most of growing season. Excellent cover for shaded areas....

Vinca minor 'SterlingSilver'
Common Name: Sterling Silver Variegated Periwinkle
Perennial groundcover with long, trailing branches. Dark green leaves are variegated silvery white on edge. Blue flowers bloom through most of growing season.....

Vinca minor 'Wine'
Common Name: Wine Periwinkle
Evergreen groundcover with dark green leaves. Wine purple flowers bloom through most of the growing season....