It has beautiful clusters of small purple flowers in mid to late spring.
Bugleweed is perfect for moist, shaded areas where grass will not grow.
Bronze Beauty and Chocolate Chip have striking dark foliage.
Credit:Grant Webster
Its leathery, dark-green foliage is evergreen in most climates.
is tolerant of both deep shade and drought.
It grows best in well-drained, sandy soils and is drought-tolerant and deer-tolerant.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Blue Chip has silver-blue foliage, and Bar Harbor has bright green needles.
is decorated with dainty flowers in spring, summer, and fall.
Thisgroundcover veronicablooms more vigorously when sheared back in spring after the first flush of flowers.
Credit: Denny Schrock
Look for Tidal Pool, Waterperry Blue, and Crater Lake Blue.
This outdoor creeping plant attracts pollinators with its tiny but prolific flowers and requires minimal care.
This pet-safe outdoor creeping plant is evergreen in warmer regions.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
has fragrant flowers and good drought tolerance.
Low-growing cultivars of this spring- and summer-flowering perennial plant make excellent groundcovers.
Some varieties, such as ‘Mountain Frost Pink Twinkle offer attractive silvery foliage in addition to long-lasting flowers.
Credit:Peter Krumhardt
Plant it where its height is welcome and where it can freely spread.
Gro-Low sumac has brilliant yellow, orange, and red fall color and good drought tolerance.
It tolerates drought but maintains a lush, full appearance when it receives regular moisture.
Credit:Bob Stefko
Bergenia blooms in late spring and is evergreen in regions that have a mild winter.
This easy-care perennials brightly variegated foliage is a backdrop to the plants small blue flowers in spring.
Sea Heart is known for its excellent tolerance of heat and humidity.
Credit: Matthew Benson
Its silvery leaves add a bright spot wherever it is planted.
Lamb ears fuzzy foliage is a striking contrast to traditional foliage plants.
Growing Conditions:Full sun to part shade.
Credit:Denny Schrock
This low-growing perennial creates a carpet of color as it scrambles around taller perennials and shrubs.
It looks especially pretty planted where it can drape over retaining walls or spill down slopes.
This ground-hugging perennial is decorated with sky-blue flowers in summer and striking red and orange foliage in fall.
Credit:Lynn Karlin
Although it provides quick cover, it is not considered invasive.
It tolerates a few hours of shade and grows well under shade trees and small ornamental trees such ascrabapplesorredbuds.
In addition to being an outdoor creeping plant that’s pet-safe, Russian cypress is also deer-resistant.
Credit: Denny Schrock
is a large group of grasslike plants.
They often have a graceful arching habit and offer fall color.
Some also spread by seeding themselves around.
Credit: Justin Hancock
Its small leaves are highlighted with white spots, and light pink flowers decorate the plant in early summer.
Some varieties offer variegated leaves and more vividly colored flowers, such as ‘Purple Dragon’ shown here.
Spotted deadnettle is a fast-growing outdoor creeping plant that’s pet-safe.
Credit: William N. Hopkins
Stonecrop
A favorite pollinator plant, stonecrop (Sedumspp.
), also calledsedum, has succulent foliage and blooms in late summer.
Many easy-to-grow stonecrop cultivars make excellentwalkable groundcovers, such as Green Ice, Aureum, and Baileys Gold.
Credit: Doug Hetherington
When not in bloom, its foliage provides a simple, clean backdrop.
It spreads to form large colonies.
Credit: Denny Schrock
Credit:Doug Hetherington
Credit: Michael Jensen
Credit: Andre Baranowski
Credit: Andy Lyons
Credit: Mark Kane
