These tough, low-growing perennials look beautiful (many even bloom) without requiring much water.
Lynn Karlin
Choosing drought-tolerant groundcovers and plants thatdon’t need much watercan help create alow-maintenance landscape.
‘Angelina’ Sedum
you’re able to’t go wrong with ‘Angelina’sedum(Sedum rupestre).
Credit:Lynn Karlin
‘Angelina’ develops tidy, needle-like, chartreuse foliage highlighted by bright yellow flowers throughout the summer.
It’s deer- andrabbit-resistantand can go weeks without receiving a drop of moisture.
Thisevergreen groundcovercan stand up to the hottest summers and still look fresh and beautiful.
Credit: Blaine Moats
Use in dry streambeds, green roofs, orrock gardens.
Test Garden Tip:Plant in groups as an easy-care groundcover.
Add alayer of mulcharound the base of the plants to help conserve soil moisture and discourage weeds.
Credit: Martin Tessler
Theplants tolerate hot, dry summers.
Dianthus does best in normal to sandy soils and grows in low, dense mats.
New foliage will grow, making plants more attractive.
Credit: Denny Schrock
It spreads slowly through your garden and doesn’t mind growing under tall trees.
In warmer parts of its range, epimedium retains its foliage through the winter.
The plants are also deer- and rabbit-resistant.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
In the early spring, before new growth begins, cut back any remaining foliage from the previous season.
Ice plant does best in poor soil.
Avoid feeding this plant.
Credit: Edward Gohlich
These vigorous shade dwellers spread by underground roots, eventually forming large, thick colonies.
Ostrich fern is prized for its feathery, finely cut fronds that unfurl gracefully in the early spring.
Use ostrich fern in woodland gardens or shaded hillsides.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
Mulch young plantsto preserve soil moisture and encourage stronger root systems.
Vigorously vining, this groundcover bears glossy green or variegated leaves.
Choose blue or white flowering varieties.
Credit: Lynn Karlin
Periwinkle forms a dense, evergreen mat andwill grow happily in dry shade.
Placeyour moweron a high setting and mow periwinkle after it blooms to keep it thick and lush.
Prostrate rosemary forms low-growing, twisted branches that rarely get over 6 inches tall.
Credit: Jay Wilde
The drought-tolerant groundcovers produce nectar-rich, light purple flowers that appear from midsummer to early fall andattract butterfliesand bees.
Use prostrate rosemary inraised bedsand rock gardens or along the edges of a pathway.
Northern gardeners should grow prostrate rosemary in containers andmove the plants indoorswhen freezing weather threatens.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Prune plants back once or twice a year to encourage new, more compact growth.
This perennial is a drought-tolerant groundcover that deer will pass by.
Prune back rock rose after it flowers to maintain its shape.
Credit: Denny Schrock
Size:2-3 feet tall and 8 feet wide
Snow-in-Summer
Poor, dry soil?
It’s no problem forsnow-in-summer(Cerastium tomentosum).
Snow-in-summer excels in sandy or clay soils.
Credit: Lynn Karlin
In addition to being a drought-tolerant groundcover, this fast-growing perennial is not a favorite for deer and rabbits.
It’s one of theeasiest-care perennial groundcovers.
Use snow-in-summer in rock walls, as erosion control on slopes, and in containers that can take neglect.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
This super-hardy perennial can handle hot summers, cold winters, drought, deer, and rabbits.
The plants have rounded reddish-green leaves and rose-red flowers in late summer and early fall.
Dig anddivide plantsin the early spring if you want to move ‘Voodoo’ to other locations.
Credit: Kritsada Panichgul
Winecup will not tolerate too much wetness.
Winecup develops a thick taproot, so it can be hard to transplant.
Plant it where you want it to remain.
Credit: Rob Cardillo
The nectar-rich flowers are alsoattractive to bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.
This tough herb does best in poor soil that drains quickly after a rain.
The plants will sulk and rot in wet soil.
Use wooly thyme asgroundcover along a garden pathor between stepping stones where it’s protected from harsh winter weather.
Note that wooly thyme is not a culinary variety.
Size:To 4 inches tall and 1 foot wide
