If you’re looking for a groundcover that’s effective at suppressing weeds but also incredibly vibrant, creeping phlox is a solid choice.
These plants offer clusters of little flowers in shades of pink, purple, blue, and white, adding a striking element to the garden space.
Creeping phlox is hardy so it can perform relatively well in zones 4-8 but won’t be able to do its job in overly cold or hot zones (1-3 and 8+).
9) Stonecrop
Stonecrop is a relatively tough and hardy groundcover that can survive various soil and environmental conditions easily. It grows rapidly and can take over any patchy garden space in no time.
This groundcover is best suited for zones 3-10.
8) Sweet Woodruff
For shady, moist areas, sweet woodruff is the perfect groundcover. It spreads relatively quickly and can cover a lot of area within a short period of time.
Apart from being effective for weed suppression, sweet woodruff foliage and blooms look incredibly attractive and can draw positive attention to your garden.
Depending on the soil and overall climate conditions, anywhere between zone 4-8 should be ideal for planting sweet woodruff as a garden groundcover.
7) Brass Buttons (Cotula coronopifolia)
This dense, low-growing groundcover offers caterpillar skin-like foliage and small yellow flowers that resemble buttons.
It’s drought-tolerant and incredibly resilient, meaning it won’t need much babying and attention once established.
Slightly warmer climate conditions, however, are preferable here, so planting this groundcover in zone 5-10 makes the most sense.
6) Creeping Thyme
This groundcover restrains the growth and spreading abilities of wild weeds while providing a unique, colorful look in the garden.
It offers dense foliage that spreads like a mat in the garden, effectively suppressing weed growth while also beautifying the landscape.
For creeping thyme, zones 2-8 are ideal.
5) Creeping Juniper (Juniperus horizontalis)
Creeping juniper has a unique pine needle-like texture that can give your garden landscape a mesmerizing look.
You’ll find this groundcover spreading in a blueish-grey color and it’s a solid choice if you wish to have a productive addition to your garden that’s also visually striking.
Unlike creeping thyme, creeping juniper prefers slightly cooler conditions, so zone 2-7 planting is ideal for this one.
4) Periwinkle
Periwinkles are quick to spread and can cover large areas in no time.
They offer attractive, shiny green foliage as well as purple and blue flowers that add an element of familiarity but also subtle beauty to the garden. If soil erosion is an issue for you, planting periwinkles on slopes can help bring things under control.
