Bare patches in a yard can feel discouraging, but the right groundcover plants can quickly turn them into soft, green carpets. This guide walks through five standout choices, like tough Gold Child English Ivy, colorful Verbena Moss, fragrant Creeping Thyme, bold Creeping Phlox, and hardworking MiniClover. Each option fills space, fights weeds, and adds beauty in its own way. As these plants spread, the once-barren spots begin to change, and that is where the real fun starts.
Gold Child English Ivy Plants, Set of 8, Hardy Groundcover, 2 1/4″ Pot
Should you be dreaming of a soft, green carpet that quietly covers bare spots without demanding much work, Gold Child English Ivy in this set of 8 small 2 1/4″ pots is a smart place to start. You get well-rooted plants with lively, lobed leaves that feel fresh and full right from day one.
You can tuck them into empty patches in your yard or let them trail from hanging baskets and planters. They handle different light levels, stay evergreen, and ask for very little care. With steady watering and simple trimming, they spread, cascade, and keep your space green all year.
Best For: Home gardeners and plant lovers who want an easy-care, evergreen groundcover or trailing plant to quickly green up bare spots indoors or outdoors.
Pros:
- Low-maintenance, hardy vine that thrives in various light conditions
- Evergreen foliage provides year-round color and coverage
- Compact 2 1/4″ pots make transplanting and arranging in beds or containers easy
Cons:
- Spreading habit may require regular trimming to keep it contained
- May not be suitable for very hot, full-sun locations without extra care
- Can be invasive in some regions, so local guidelines should be checked before planting outdoors
HOME GROWN Verbena Moss Perennial Flower Seeds
Should you dream of a low, colorful carpet of flowers that almost takes care of itself, HOME GROWN Verbena Moss Perennial Flower Seeds can feel like a small miracle for your yard. You get over 6000 seeds, so it’s easy to turn bare soil into a soft, blooming mat that looks like purple moss.
You sow the seeds in full sun, cover them lightly, then wait about 10 to 21 days for sprouts. Plants spread fast, fill gaps, and help stop erosion on slopes. In warmer zones, they return each year, drawing butterflies and hummingbirds along paths, borders, and rock gardens.
Best For: Home gardeners who want an easy, fast-spreading, low-growing carpet of long-blooming purple flowers for ground cover, slopes, and sunny borders that attract pollinators.
Pros:
- 6000+ seeds provide extensive coverage, quickly turning bare soil into a dense, weed-suppressing mat.
- Heat-tolerant plants bloom from spring through fall in full sun and attract butterflies and hummingbirds.
- Ideal for erosion control on slopes and versatile for pathways, rock gardens, and borders.
Cons:
- Perennial only in warmer zones (7–11); must be treated as an annual in cooler climates (2–6).
- Requires full sun for best performance, limiting use in shady areas.
- Spreading habit may need occasional control to prevent it from overtaking nearby plantings.
Sow Right Seeds Creeping Thyme Seeds for Planting
Should you dream of a soft, flowered carpet that can handle light footsteps instead of a plain patch of grass, Sow Right Seeds Creeping Thyme is a smart place to start. You’re getting a non GMO heirloom variety with tiny lavender blooms that spread into a fragrant mat. One packet holds about 3200 seeds, so you can cover a lot of bare soil.
You plant the seeds shallow, about 1/16 inch deep, in warm soil between 65 and 70°F. Space them 6 to 8 inches apart, then water gently and regularly. In zones 4 to 9, it returns each year, staying 2 to 3 inches tall but spreading 3 to 12 inches. As it fills in, it attracts bees and butterflies, turning a once dull area into a vibrant, buzzing, lightly walkable rug.
Best For: Gardeners in USDA zones 4–9 who want a low-growing, fragrant, pollinator-friendly ground cover that can handle light foot traffic and replace or accent traditional lawn areas.
Pros:
- Non-GMO heirloom variety with high germination rate and about 3,200 seeds per packet for broad coverage.
- Creates a 2–3″ tall, spreading, lavender-flowered mat that attracts bees and butterflies and returns yearly in zones 4–9.
- Easy-care, drought-tolerant ground cover once established, suitable for both ornamental and lightly walkable areas.
Cons:
- Not suitable for heavy foot traffic, so it cannot replace high-use lawn areas like sports or play zones.
- Requires specific germination temperatures (65–70°F) and shallow sowing depth, which may be tricky for beginners to manage outdoors.
- Full sun and regular watering needs may limit performance in very shady spots or extremely dry, neglected areas.
Pilestone Creeping Phlox Ground-Cover Plant (Red, 4″ Pot)
Pilestone Creeping Phlox in the lively red color is perfect should you dream about a flourishing carpet of flowers that brightens your yard each spring with almost no fuss. You get a dense, needle-like evergreen mat that hugs the ground and slowly knits bare soil into a soft, thriving rug.
You can tuck this hardy perennial into rock gardens, sunny slopes, or along borders. It loves full sun and well-drained soil, and once it settles in, it handles drought well. Use it between stepping stones, over walls, or on banks for erosion control. Plants ship rooted in 4-inch pots, seasonally trimmed yet reliably healthy.
Best For: Gardeners seeking a low-maintenance, evergreen ground cover that creates a dense, red flowering carpet in sunny spots, rock gardens, slopes, and borders.
Pros:
- Forms a dense, needle-like evergreen mat that provides year-round ground cover and helps suppress weeds
- Produces masses of bright red blooms in early to mid-spring, attracting early pollinators and adding vivid seasonal color
- Cold-hardy in USDA Zones 3–9, drought-tolerant once established, and excellent for erosion control on slopes and banks
Cons:
- Requires full sun and well-drained soil; may perform poorly in shade or heavy, wet soils
- Bloom time is concentrated in spring, so floral color is seasonal rather than continuous
- Shipped plants may arrive trimmed, not in bloom, or dormant depending on the season, which can differ from catalog photos
Outsidepride Perennial White MiniClover Lawn Seed (1 lb)
Outsidepride Perennial White MiniClover Lawn Seed is a smart choice in case you’re tired of fighting with fussy grass and just want a soft, green yard that looks good most of the year with less work. This tiny clover gives you a low, cushiony lawn that feels welcoming underfoot and looks rich and full. You can use it alone or mix just 2 to 5 percent into your current lawn.
Because it fixes nitrogen, it quietly feeds the soil for you. It grows only 4 to 6 inches, handles close mowing, smothers weeds, loves sun, shrugs off drought, and returns every year in zones 3 to 10.
Best For: Homeowners in USDA Zones 3–10 who want a low-maintenance, soft, green lawn or lawn supplement that improves soil health and reduces weeds with less watering and mowing.
Pros:
- Nitrogen-fixing micro clover that naturally feeds the soil and supports healthier surrounding grass
- Dense, low-growing 4–6 inch habit that tolerates close mowing, smothers many weeds, and stays lush
- Drought-tolerant perennial ground cover that can be used alone or as just 2–5% of a lawn mix for big impact
Cons:
- Produces white flowers for about a month in summer when unmowed, which may attract more bees than some users want
- Not ideal for areas outside USDA Zones 3–10 or for heavily shaded lawns
- May require overseeding or time to fully establish even ground coverage in existing turf
Factors to Consider When Choosing Groundcover Plants
Whenever someone chooses groundcover plants, it helps to slow down and look at how each option fits the real conditions in the yard. The local climate and hardiness zone, the mix of sun and shade, and the soil type with its drainage all shape which plants will stay healthy over time. At the same time, maintenance needs, growth speed, and how much foot traffic the area will get all work together to show which groundcovers will actually feel easy and enjoyable to live with.
Climate and Hardiness Zone
How can a simple number on a map make such a big difference in the way groundcover plants grow and survive? That number is the hardiness zone, and it quietly shapes every planting decision. Each USDA zone from 1 to 13 shows the lowest average winter temperature in that area, so it tells a gardener how much cold a plant must handle.
When someone chooses groundcovers that match their zone, the plants usually live longer, fill in faster, and need less rescue care. Climate matters too. Some groundcovers stay strong through drought, while others handle repeated frost. Native groundcovers often do both, since they evolved with local weather. Through studying zone, climate, and native options together, a gardener builds a carpet that feels stable and enduring.
Sunlight and Shade Levels
Surprisingly, sunlight is one of the most emotional parts of choosing a groundcover, because it quietly decides which plants will thrive and which will struggle. Every spot in a yard has its own light pattern, and that pattern shapes what is possible. Some areas soak in full sun for at least 6 hours. These bright spaces suit sun lovers like Creeping Phlox, which can glow with color in USDA Zones 3 to 9.
Other corners stay in partial shade or full shade. Here, low light champions, such as shade tolerant ivy varieties, keep the ground green even in dim conditions. At the moment someone carefully matches plant needs with real light levels, groundcovers grow thicker, stay healthier, and fill bare ground more confidently.
Soil Type and Drainage
Even before a single plant goes into the ground, soil type and drainage quietly decide how well a groundcover will live, spread, and stay healthy. Whenever someone understands their soil, they stop guessing and start choosing plants that truly belong there.
Sandy soil drains fast, so it suits groundcovers that like drier roots. Clay holds water, so it favors species that handle heavier, wetter conditions. Loamy soil sits in the happy middle and supports many choices. Because of this, checking soil pH also matters, since some groundcovers love acidic conditions while others prefer alkaline spots.
If the soil feels heavy or sticky, adding compost improves structure and drainage. Then, through regularly checking moisture, a gardener matches each groundcover to the comfort level it needs.
Maintenance and Growth Rate
Once the soil matches the plant’s needs, the next big question is how that groundcover will behave over time. Some choices, like creeping thyme or ivy, tend to settle in quietly and need little more than occasional trimming. Others grow faster and ask for regular watering, pruning, and a bit of shaping.
Growth rate matters because it affects how quickly bare spots disappear. Fast spreaders can cover soil in a season, while slower plants might take a couple of years to fill in.
Weed-suppressing options, such as verbena moss and creeping phlox, reduce weeding and protect soil health. Yet even low care plants benefit from light shearing after blooming, plus routine checks for pests, thinning needs, and changing light conditions.
Foot Traffic Tolerance
As soon as someone is selecting groundcover plants, foot traffic tolerance quickly becomes just as essential as color or texture. Every step across a planting bed presses soil and foliage, so it helps to match the plant to how the space will be used. Some groundcovers stay strong under regular use, while others really need a gentler touch.
Foot traffic tolerance usually ties to growth habit and root strength. Plants that form dense mats handle compaction better and often recover faster after being stepped on. Creeping thyme, for example, works well along light-use paths because its hardy foliage springs back. In busy areas, people tend to choose groundcovers that are drought tolerant, have vigorous root systems, and regrow quickly to keep the surface filled and healthy.
Aesthetic and Design Goals
Beauty often guides the choice of groundcover plants just as much as practical needs. Whenever someone looks at a bare spot, they usually envision color initially. Blooming habits matter a lot here. Plants like creeping phlox blanket the ground with bright spring flowers, turning problem areas into cheerful focal points.
Foliage is just as crucial as flowers. Evergreen groundcovers keep spaces green all year, so the garden never feels empty. Different textures also change the mood. Creeping thyme forms low, dense carpets, while verbena moss adds a softer, more airy look.
Height and spread shape the design. Short varieties outline paths and borders, while taller plants can spill over walls or cover wide slopes. Through mixing bloom times and foliage changes, the garden stays interesting in every season.
Final Thoughts
A once-bare yard does not have to stay that way. With the right mix of groundcovers, anyone can turn problem spots into inviting green spaces that feel soft, alive, and full of color. At the moment someone combines tough Gold Child English Ivy, bright Verbena Moss, fragrant Creeping Thyme, cheerful Creeping Phlox, and steady MiniClover, the whole yard begins to feel different. With a little patience and care, those empty patches truly become a sight for sore eyes.
