Having your lawn, garden, yard, or landscape invaded by weeds can be a very frustrating experience.
These unwanted plants are usually an eyesore, can outcompete and choke out beneficial plants, and can be expensive, not to mention time-consuming to eradicate.
But what if you did not have to spend your time, energy, and money trying to control invasive weeds? With groundcover plants, you can choke out any weeds on your property and prevent further encroachment.
Below is a look at some top groundcover plants, which experts agree will keep weeds away from your property.
1. Bloody Geranium (Geranium sanguineum)

- Other Names: Bloody Crane’s Bill
- Family: Geraniaceae
- Annual or Perennial: Perennial
Bloody geranium (Geranium sanguineum) is one of the top plants you can plant as a groundcover to protect your property from weeds.
It is a perennial plant that spreads through rhizomatous roots and trailing stems, creating a thick ground cover that makes it very hard for weeds to grow. It is easy to grow and will do well in medium moisture, well-drained soils, and partial shade to full sun.
Advantages of using Bloody geranium (Geranium sanguineum) as ground cover
- Weed suppression: It is a low-growing plant that spreads to cover a wide area, creating a dense carpet of foliage that chokes out weeds and prevents new ones from growing.
- Aesthetic appeal: Its showy, pink to reddish-purple flowers bloom all summer, creating a very appealing look. In addition, its leaves turn red in fall, creating quite an impression.
- Low maintenance: It is easy to plant and propagate, can withstand harsh sun conditions, and is not affected much by pests and diseases.
- It supports pollination: Its flowers are full of nectar and pollen, which attracts bees and other insects for pollination.
Disadvantages of using Bloody geranium:
- It can be invasive: It spreads through rhizomes and can self-seed in the right conditions, which can be problematic.
- It dies back in winter: It is herbaceous and dies back in the winter, leaving your landscape a bare eyesore.
2. Moss Phlox (Phlox subulata)

- Other Names: Creeping phlox, moss pink, mountain phlox
- Family: Polemoniaceae
- Annual or Perennial: Perennial
Moss Phlox (Phlox subulata) is a low-growing perennial plant that reaches just about 13cm high. However, it can spread wide, up to 50cm, forming thick mats with its hairy, linear leaves.
Its creeping habit helps to quickly fill an area, crowding out existing weeds and preventing new ones from germinating. It can also grow in various habitats, from clearings to slopes, borders, and rocky edges.
Advantages of using Moss Phlox (Phlox subulata) as ground cover:
- Excellent weed suppression: It spreads quickly, creating large, dense carpets of foliage that can choke out weeds.
- Attractive flowers: It produces vibrant pink, purple, blue, or white flowers in spring that are very attractive. It is also evergreen, creating a visual appeal of green foliage in your landscape year-round.
- It is easy to maintain: It takes hold easily, does not require frequent watering, can do well in poor soils, and is drought tolerant. It is also tolerant to common garden pests like rabbits and deer.
- It attracts pollinators: Its beautiful nectar-filled flowers attract a range of pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
- Erosion control: Its thick foliage mat can prevent soil erosion, especially on slopes and banks.
Disadvantages of using Moss Phlox:
- It can be invasive: Its aggressive spreading habit can become uncontrollable if not properly managed.
- It has a short flowering period: It has a very short flowering period of only 3-4 weeks.
3. Crimson Clover (Trifolium incarnatum)

- Other Names: Italian clover, incarnate clover
- Family: Fabaceae
- Annual or Perennial: Annual
Crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum) is an annual plant popular for its attractive blooms. However, it is quickly becoming one of the top ground cover crops.
One of the best features of crimson clover is that it quickly establishes itself in a new area. It also does well in any soil conditions, thus making it a perfect groundcover crop in several areas that may be susceptible to weeds.
Advantages of using Crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum) as ground cover:
- Weed suppression: It is very fast-growing with a dense cover and can outcompete other invasive plants, choking them out.
- Aesthetic appeal: It produces attractive, deep crimson flowers that turn your landscape into a work of art.
- Preventing soil erosion: It has a fibrous taproot system that helps to prevent soil erosion.
- Improving the soil: It fixes nitrogen in the soil and creates a conducive environment for earthworms around its roots, helping to improve soil conditions.
Disadvantages of using Crimson clover:
- It is a short-lived annual: Once it dies back, you must replant it, which can be quite expensive.
- It does not do well in areas with heavy traffic: It is vulnerable to children, pets, and other forms of heavy traffic.
4. Spotted Dead-Nettle (Lamium maculatum)

- Other Names: Spotted henbit, Purple dragon
- Family: Lamiaceae
- Annual or Perennial: Perennial
Spotted dead-nettle (Lamium maculatum) is a low-growing, spreading perennial plant. This, combined with its attractive blooms, makes it the perfect groundcover plant to add to your landscape.
It is a fast-growing plant that can quickly cover large areas, filling them out completely. Its aggressive growth and thick foliage make it easy to overrun and choke out weeds growing on your property.
Advantages of using Spotted dead-nettle (Lamium maculatum) as ground cover:
- It offers excellent weed suppression: It is fast-growing and can cover large areas, choking out weeds.
- It is very aesthetically appealing: It produces beautiful pink, purple, or white flowers. It also has attractive variegated leaves, which provide a beautiful display year-round.
- It is very low maintenance: It requires minimal care, can grow in drought conditions, and can even tolerate shady areas.
Disadvantages of using Spotted dead nettle:
- It can be an aggressive spreader: Its aggressive growing habit can become a problem, especially if planted near other shorter beneficial plants, as it can suffocate them.
5. Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans)

- Other Names: Ajuga, Blue bugle, Carpet bugle, carpetweed, carpet bugleweed, bugle herb
- Family: Lamiaceae
- Annual or Perennial: Perennial
Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans) is a low-growing perennial plant that forms a thick, dense carpet, making it a perfect groundcover plant.
Its high tolerance to severe conditions makes it even more perfect as a cover crop. It can do well in several soil types, including poor soil, and tolerate full sun, shady areas, and dry soils.
Advantages of using Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans) as ground cover:
- It offers an impressive groundcover: It is very fast-growing, quick to establish itself in bare areas (even where grass refuses to grow), is fast-spreading, and can form thick, dense mats that choke out weeds.
- It is very low-maintenance: It is drought-resistant, does well in almost all soil types, can withstand sun or shade, and is very easy to care for.
- It has very beautiful blooms: It produces spikes of blue, pink, white, or purple tubular flowers that are very attractive.
Disadvantages of using Bugleweed:
- It can be invasive: It is very fast-growing and is thus considered invasive in areas where it is not native.
- It can be toxic: If ingested, parts of the plant can be toxic to animals and humans.
6. Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum)

- Other Names: Breckland thyme, wild thyme, elfin thyme, Breckland wild thyme
- Family: Lamiaceae
- Annual or Perennial: Perennial
Creeping thyme (Thymus serpyllum) is a low-growing plant that grows to about 2cm tall. Its creeping stems allow it to spread far, forming thick, dense mats on the ground.
The plant is drought-resistant, very low-maintenance, and can withstand foot traffic. Therefore, in addition to being used for groundcover, it is also cultivated as an alternative to turf lawns.
Advantages of using Creeping thyme (Thymus serpyllum) as ground cover:
- Weed suppression: It is very fast-spreading and forms thick, dense mats. Therefore, it can suppress weeds in several areas, from lawns, bare land, or between tall plants.
- It is very low maintenance: It is drought-resistant, does not require much watering, and can do well in rocky or sandy soils.
- It is very attractive: It produces beautiful pinkish to purple flowers from late spring to early summer. It also has a very pleasant, mint-like fragrance.
- It can be used as a lawn: Its drought resistance, low maintenance, and low-growing nature make it a perfect alternative to grass lawns.
Disadvantages of using Creeping thyme
- It can be invasive: Due to its aggressive nature, it can quickly spread to and colonize other areas.
- It does not handle heavy foot traffic: While it is a good alternative to turfgrass lawns, it does not do well in heavy traffic.
7. Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum)

- Other Names: sweetscented bedstraw, bedstraw
- Family: Rubiaceae
- Annual or Perennial: Perennial
Sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum) is a perennial plant that spreads through a creeping rhizome system, forming dense, thick mats on the ground.
It does well in shady areas, where it can prevent the growth of weeds. It can also be planted between taller perennials and shrubs and can be used for edging, further suppressing invasive species.
Advantages of using Sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum) as ground cover:
- Weed suppression: It forms a thick, dense mat that suffocates weeds. The dense foliage also prevents sunlight from reaching the soil, thus preventing the germination of new seeds.
- It is visually appealing: It has attractive white flowers that bloom from early spring. Its bright, evergreen leaves and fragrant aroma also help improve the landscape’s appeal.
- It prevents soil erosion: Its deep, extensive root systems help prevent soil erosion, especially in sloppy areas.
- It acts as a natural mulch: It acts as a natural, live mulch that helps to conserve soil moisture when planted between other plants.
Disadvantages of using Sweet woodruff:
- It can be invasive: At optimal growing conditions, it can become aggressive and spread out of control if not contained.
- It can be a bit toxic: While it is used for herbal medicine, it can be toxic if consumed in large quantities.

Lead Editor for Insight Weeds.