Best Ground Covers for Shade

Low, spreading plants that carpet the ground where grass struggles and lawns give up.

Showing the top 30 of 309 matching plants, ranked by nursery availability, then native status. The Plant Finder searches all 309.

1. 
   alpine aster Aster alpinusZone 4+ · part shade · 0.3 ft · native
2. 
   alpine bluegrass Poa alpinaZone 3+ · part shade · 1.7 ft · native
3. 
   alpine mountainsorrel Oxyria digynaZone 2+ · part shade · 1 ft · native
4. 
   alpine timothy Phleum alpinumZone 2+ · part shade · 1.4 ft · native
5. 
   American alpine speedwell Veronica wormskjoldiiZone 4+ · part shade · 1 ft · native
6. 
   American bur-reed Sparganium americanumZone 3+ · part shade · 3.2 ft · native
7. 
   American sloughgrass Beckmannia syzigachneZone 3+ · part shade · 3 ft · native
8. 
   American speedwell Veronica americanaZone 3+ · shade · 0.8 ft · native
9. 
   American water horehound Lycopus americanusZone 3+ · shade · 1.8 ft · native
10. 
    American water-willow Justicia americanaZone 4+ · shade · 2.5 ft · native
11. 
    analogue sedge Carex simulataZone 3+ · part shade · 1.5 ft · native
12. 
    annual hairgrass Deschampsia danthonioidesZone 12+ · part shade · 1.5 ft · native
13. 
    arrowleaf balsamroot Balsamorhiza sagittataZone 3+ · part shade · 2 ft · native
14. 
    arrowleaf ragwort Senecio triangularisZone 3+ · part shade · 4 ft · native
15. 
    Atlantic camas Camassia scilloidesZone 4+ · shade · 2.5 ft · native
16. 
    Atlantic mannagrass Glyceria obtusaZone 6+ · shade · 3.3 ft · native
17. 
    awlfruit sedge Carex stipataZone 3+ · shade · 3.5 ft · native
18. 
    bayhops Ipomoea pes-capraeZone 8+ · part shade · 1 ft · native
19. 
    beaked sedge Carex rostrataZone 3+ · shade · 3.5 ft · native
20. 
    bearded beggarticks Bidens aristosaZone 12+ · part shade · 3.5 ft · native
21. 
    Bebb's sedge Carex bebbiiZone 3+ · shade · 3 ft · native
22. 
    Bicknell's sedge Carex bicknelliiZone 3+ · shade · 3.4 ft · native
23. 
    blister sedge Carex vesicariaZone 3+ · part shade · 3 ft · native
24. 
    blue mistflower Conoclinium coelestinumZone 5+ · shade · 3.2 ft · native
25. 
    blue wildrye Elymus glaucusZone 3+ · shade · 3.3 ft · native
26. 
    blunt broom sedge Carex tribuloidesZone 4+ · shade · 3 ft · native
27. 
    bottle gentian Gentiana clausaZone 3+ · part shade · 1.5 ft · native
28. 
    bristly buttercup Ranunculus hispidusZone 3+ · shade · 2.5 ft · native
29. 
    broom sedge Carex scopariaZone 3+ · shade · 2.5 ft · native
30. 
    buckbean Menyanthes trifoliataZone 3+ · part shade · 0.8 ft · native

Every plant here is drawn from the USDA PLANTS database; the traits behind this list are quoted from it, not estimated. See data & sources.

Want plants matched to your exact zone and conditions? Use the Plant Finder.