:strip_icc()/101442319_preview-97b22fa1a5c741a1baec72df8e499f18.jpg?w=1920&resize=1920,1267&ssl=1 "21 Groundcover Plants That Stay Green All Year Long")
Evergreen groundcovers maintain their foliage during the winter, adding color to the landscape and providing shelter for wildlife all year-round. Several even feature flowers or berries for added interest. The key to growing evergreen groundcovers is a site with good drainage. While the plants on the list below vary in cold hardiness and light needs, most won’t tolerate soggy soil.
Plant groundcovers closer together than the recommended spacing, which usually corresponds to the mature spread of the plant. Many groundcovers are also easy to propagate from cuttings, which is a low-cost way to fill an area more quickly.
Candytuft
Edward Gohlich
Evergreen candytuft (Iberis sempervirens) is a white-flowering low shrub with a mounding habit. It spreads slowly to become an excellent evergreen groundcover. The stems root easily when in contact with the ground, forming new plants. Candytuft transplants well and grows in all soil types as long as drainage is adequate. It is drought-tolerant.
Growing Conditions: Full sun; moist, well-drained soil
Size: 6-15 inches tall, 6-18 inches spread
Zones: 3-8
Wall Germander
Orest Lyzhechka / Getty Images
Wall germander (Teucrium chamaedrys) is an evergreen shrub whose pink and lilac blooms in late summer attract many bees. Short in nature, it spreads by rhizomes, and responds well to shearing. It is rarely bothered by pests or diseases.
Growing Conditions: Full sun; well-drained sandy soil
Size: 9 to 12 inches tall, 12-24 inches spread
Zones: 5-9
Wintergreen
Denny Schrock
A low-growing and aromatic groundcover, wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) is a hardy native perennial. Bell-shaped white flowers in summer produce bright red berries in autumn, which will last until spring if not eaten by birds. Thick waxy leaves and berries have a characteristic wintergreen scent when crushed.
Growing Conditions: Dappled sun or shade; moist, acidic soil
Size: 4-8 inches tall, 6-12 inches spread
Zones: 3-8
Creeping Thyme
Also known as Breckland thyme, creeping thyme (Thymus serpyllum) is an evergreen herb in mild winter climates and a hardy perennial in most of the U.S. It is available with white, red, pink, or purple flowers and several foliage colors. This mat-forming plant is a bee magnet when it flowers and has gained popularity as a turfgrass replacement.
Growing Conditions: Full sun; well-drained soil
Size: 2-3 inches tall, 3-12 inches spread
Zones: 4-9
Brass Buttons
Evgeniya Vlasova
This low-growing groundcover has small, fern-like foliage and forms a mat as it spreads. Brass buttons (Leptinella squalida) is evergreen in warmer climates and semi-evergreen in colder regions. The name brass buttons was inspired by the small yellow flowers. Use brass buttons as a low groundcover in rock gardens, along paths, and between pavers. It is easily propagated by division.
Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; moist, well-drained soil
Size: 2-3 inches tall, 12-18 inches spread
Zones: 4-10
Dalmation Bellflower
Irina Pislari / Getty Images
Also known as wall bellflower (Campanula portenschlagiana) forms low mounds of evergreen foliage covered in vivid purple flowers. Blooms begin in late spring and last well into summer. This brightly colored plant is perfect for setting off contrasting colors of yellow and orange in a garden and as a spiller in hanging baskets.
Growing Conditions: Full to partial shade; moist, well-drained soil
Size: 6-9 inches tall, 12-24 inches spread
Zones: 3-9
Christmas Fern
Lush and evergreen Christmas ferns (Polystichum acrostichoides) will keep their fronds right through the holidays. They form a clump and won’t spread, but can be planted in groups to make a wonderful groundcover.
Growing Conditions: Partial to full shade; medium moist, fertile soil
Size: 1-3 feet tall, 1-3 feet spread
Zones: 3-9
Shore Juniper
Denny Schrock
With needle-shaped foliage unlike that of typical junipers, shore junipers (Juniperus conferta) are valued for their adaptability, drought tolerance, and deer resistance. ‘Blue Pacific’ is a particularly low-growing variety perfectly suited for planting near rock walls or boulders.
Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; well-drained soil
Size: 1-2 feet tall, 6-8 feet spread
Zones: 5-9
Japanese Sedge
Denny Schrock
These graceful, swooping sedges are evergreen in most of their range and come in many foliage patterns and sizes. Japanese sedge (Carex oshimensis) looks particularly impressive in mass plantings. The popular cultivar ‘Evergold’ has creamy slender leaves with deep green edges.
Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; moist, well-drained soil
Size: 12-18 inches tall, 15-20 inches spread
Zones: 5-9
Snow-in-Summer
Denny Schrock
Snow-in-summer (Cerastium tomentosum) has white flowers that extend delicately above a mat of silvery evergreen foliage. It forms a thick layer of leaves and stems and spreads readily. The plant is salt-tolerant and makes a perfect accent draped over stone retaining walls. Snow-in-summer thrives in cooler weather, which is why it is usually grown as an annual in southern portions of its zone range.
Growing Conditions: Full sun; dry, sandy or rocky soil with excellent drainage
Size: 6-12 inches tall, 10-18 inches spread
Zones: 3-10
Dwarf Mondo Grass
Not a true grass but a broadleaf evergreen groundcover, dwarf mondo grass (Ophipogon japonicus) forms small clumps of deep green foliage, eventually forming a weed-proof mat. It can stand some foot traffic, making it a viable replacement for turf grass in lower-impact areas. ‘Gyoku-ryu’ is a cultivar that forms mats only a couple of inches tall.
Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; moist, well-drained soil
Size: 3-6 inches tall, 4-6 inches spread
Zones: 6-10
Rockspray Cotoneaster
Raj Kamal / Getty Images
A semi-prostrate shrub that loves cooler temperatures, rockspray cotoneaster (Cotoneaster horizontalis) is a tough groundcover that needs little attention after it becomes established. Its arching branches are perfect for trailing over a rock garden edge or retaining wall. These plants do well in poor soils where others struggle and are semi-evergreen in the northern part of their range.
Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; moist, fertile, well-drained soil
Size: 2-3 feet tall, 6-8 feet spread
Zones: 4-7
Delosperma
Robert Cardillo
Also known as the hardy ice plant or Cooper’s delosperma (Delosperma cooperi) is a succulent and frost-tolerant groundcover. It is evergreen in warmer locations and semi-evergreen in colder areas, with a dense, mat-forming habit. Brightly colored blooms in many shades bring vivid neon hues to the garden.
Growing Conditions: Full sun; sandy or low-fertility soil with excellent drainage
Size: 3-6 inches tall, 12-24 inches spread
Zones: 5-9
Bugleweed
Like other members of the mint family, bugleweed (Ajuga reptans) is a vigorous grower. It makes an attractive groundcover in shady areas where grass struggles to grow. ‘Burgundy Glow’ has tricolored foliage that turns burgundy in autumn. Short spikes of blue flowers pop above the foliage in spring for a stunning display.
Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; medium moist, well-drained soil
Size: 6-10 inches tall, 6-10 inches spread
Zones: 3-10
Bugleweed is considered invasive in some parts of the U.S. so plant it with caution, or where you can keep it contained.
Bearberry
Siur / Getty Images
Also called kinnikinnick, bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) is a trailing shrub with thick evergreen leaves on flexible branches. In summer, pink or white flowers turn into bright red berries that stay on the branch well into winter. It’s native to much of the northern U.S., especially in areas with sandy soil.
Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; light or sandy soil with excellent drainage
Size: 6-12 inches tall, 3-6 feet spread
Zones: 2-7
Creeping Juniper
Phanasitti / Getty Images
The botanical name, Juniperus horizontalis, suggests that this juniper makes an excellent groundcover. Native to North America, this shrub grows well in most soil types as long as they are well-drained. Creeping juniper shrubs can spread as far as ten feet wide, making a low mat of evergreen branches that serve as shelter for small songbirds and other wildlife.
Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; well-drained soil
Size: 18 inches tall, 4-10 feet spread
Zones: 3-9
European Wild Ginger
With glossy, round, evergreen, dark emerald leaves four inches across, European wild ginger (Asarum europaeum) won’t fade into the background. It spreads slowly by rhizomes, making it ideal for creating a living mulch around ornamental trees in shady areas. It’s evergreen in all but the coldest parts of its range.
Growing Conditions: Part to full shade; moist, well-drained soil
Size: 6-8 inches tall, 8-12 inches spread
Zones: 4-8
Siberian Cypress
Doug Hetherington
Siberian cypress (Microbiota decussata) is a mat-forming evergreen conifer. It is extremely tough, cold-hardy, and deer-resistant. The bright green foliage turns bronze-purple in fall and winter. The cultivar ‘Celtic Pride’ has delicate cypress foliage but is hardy down to Zone 2.
Growing Conditions: Partial to full sun; well-drained soil
Size: 6-18 inches tall, 3-12 feet spread
Zones: 2-7
Creeping Raspberry
Photohamster / Getty Images
Also known as dewberry or creeping bramble, creeping raspberry (Rubus rolfei) doesn’t look like the raspberry bushes grown for their fruits. Low-growing and evergreen, this perennial makes an excellent groundcover. Many cultivars turn shades of burgundy in autumn, providing further color in the garden.
Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; loamy, well-drained soil
Size: 3-12 inches tall, 12 inches spread per year
Zones: 7-9
Spotted Deadnettle
Marty Baldwin
An evergreen in milder climates but hardy in northern locations, spotted deadnettle (Lamium maculatum) is a member of the mint family. It spreads readily by stems that easily root in the ground. Although named a nettle, it lacks the sting, and flowers with lilac-colored blooms in summer. It’s also deer and rabbit-resistant.
Growing Conditions: Shade or partial shade; moist, fertile, well-drained soil
Size: 6-9 inches tall, 2-3 feet spread
Zones: 3-8
Common Juniper
Jacob Fox
Ubiquitous across much of the northern US, the common juniper (Juniperus communis) is an evergreen shrub that needs little care. Some varieties are upright and narrow, while others are very low-growing. Some good choices include ‘Green Carpet’ (growing to about 6 inches tall and 3 feet wide) and ‘Alpine Carpet’ (about 8 inches tall and 4 feet wide)
Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; dry soil
Size: 2-5 feet tall, 7-20 feet spread
Zones: 2-8