Best Groundcovers Under Trees for Shade and Sun

If you're looking to add some color and texture under your trees, groundcovers are a great option. They can thrive in both shade and sun, making them a versatile choice for any yard.

For areas with full sun, consider using Creeping Thyme, which can tolerate up to 8 hours of direct sunlight per day. This low-growing groundcover also requires minimal maintenance and can handle foot traffic.

In shadier areas, English Ivy is a great option, as it can tolerate as little as 1 hour of direct sunlight per day. However, be aware that it can be invasive in some regions.

For a more drought-tolerant option, consider using Sedum, which can survive with minimal watering and can handle full sun to partial shade conditions.

If you're looking for a low-maintenance option for groundcover under your tree, consider the Wintercreeper (Euonymus fortunei). It's hardy from zone 4 to 8 and can thrive in full sun to full shade.

For larger areas, Wintercreeper is ideal, spreading 3 to 6 feet wide. It's also a great option if you want to add some color and texture to your yard without much fuss.

Here are some other popular groundcover options that can work well under trees:

Groundcover options are plentiful, and the right choice can make a big difference in your garden's appearance and maintenance. There are many plants to consider, including wild cranesbill, which spreads fast and produces long-lasting purple flowers.

Some groundcovers are ideal for shady areas, while others thrive in sunny spots. Wintercreeper, for example, can grow in full sun to full shade and is hardy from zone 4 to zone 8. It's also a great choice for larger areas, spreading 3 to 6 feet wide.

Evergreen groundcovers are a popular choice because they provide year-round interest and can help hide soil. Many, like wintercreeper, have attractive foliage colors, such as glossy green leaves with cream and yellow markings. They also tend to be low-maintenance and can be easily trimmed to keep them in check.

If you're looking for a plant that's drought-resistant, you may want to consider mazus reptans. This groundcover produces showy clusters of purple flowers in early to mid-summer and is ideal for growing around stepping stones.

Most groundcovers are easy to grow and require minimal care. They're often resistant to pests and diseases, and many can thrive in difficult locations. By choosing the right plant for your conditions, you can enjoy a beautiful and low-maintenance garden.

Yellow Archangel is a fast-growing ground cover that forms a dense mat of silver-speckled leaves, growing 8-12 inches high.

It thrives in zones 4-8 and tolerates considerable sun in cooler climates, but may become leggy if it gets too dry.

Cutting it back once or twice a season to 4-8 inches tall can help maintain its shape and prevent legginess.

Its flowers are a bright yellow and appear in early spring, covering the plant in a vibrant display.

The ideal soil pH for Yellow Archangel is close to neutral, making it a good choice for gardeners with neutral soil conditions.

It may be too rambunctious for areas with delicate perennials and wildflowers, so be sure to choose a location with some space to spare.

Sedum is a great option for groundcover, especially for hot, dry spots. It's low-growing and can thrive in almost no soil at all.

The creeping stonecrop, Sedum spurium, is a top choice for this type of area. It can grow in cracks between stones and turn bare, dry areas into carpets of color.

Two varieties of sedum that stand out are the Tricolor Sedum and the Voodoo Sedum. They have attractive colored foliage, with the Tricolor Sedum having leaves splashed with green, cream, and red, and the Voodoo Sedum having rich red foliage.

Both of these sedum varieties have bright flowers too, either bright pink or bright red. They cover the plants in summer, making a brilliant splash of color.

Creeping Phlox is another option for groundcover that tolerates drought and thrives in wooded areas. It grows tall clusters of fragrant pink or violet blooms in late summer.

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Ferns are not a great choice for groundcover, especially Ostrich Ferns, which can grow out of control and require a lot of maintenance.

They can spread quickly and take over your yard, like I experienced with my overgrown yard where I had to pull at least 400 ferns over the course of two years.

Pick any other Fern, as they are generally more manageable and less invasive.

Creeping Jenny is a hardy plant that thrives in Zones 2-10 and can grow in shady areas where other plants struggle to survive.

It's a great option for areas with limited sunlight, but be aware that it has an invasive nature and may be banned in your area.

You'll want to check if Creeping Jenny is allowed in your region before planting it, as its invasive tendencies can spread quickly.

Periwinkle is a great option for groundcover, especially in cool and cold parts of the country. It's tough and hardy, and will thrive even in deep shade.

Periwinkle forms wide mats of foliage up to 5 feet across, that root in the soil as they grow. This makes it perfect for covering large areas beneath trees and shrubs.

One of the most popular and reliable forms of periwinkle is Bowles Periwinkle (Vinca minor ‘Bowles’s Variety’), which is hardy right down to zone 4. This means it can handle cold temperatures and even survive with good snow cover.

Periwinkle is easily trimmed back, so it's not invasive and won't take over your garden. It prefers moist soil, especially in spring when the new growth forms.

Here are some key features of periwinkle to keep in mind:

Periwinkle is a wonderful display in the spring and summer, with open flowers in a perfect sky-blue color covering the foliage. It's a great choice for gardens with many trees, and will save you from having to weed and rake.

Wintercreeper is a great option for shady areas, coming from the woods of Japan and making terrific groundcover. It's hardy from zone 4 to zone 8.

The variegated variety, Emerald Gaiety Wintercreeper, has glossy green leaves splashed and marked with cream and yellow. This variety is the most popular for its attractive foliage.

It can spread 3 to 6 feet wide, making it ideal for larger areas. You can easily trim it to keep it low and ground-hugging.

Wintercreeper will grow anywhere from full sun to full shade, giving you flexibility in its placement. It can even spread upwards onto walls and trees if you want it to.

Lily-turf (Liriope spp.) is a versatile ground cover that can thrive in sun or shade. It's a great option for gardeners who want a low-maintenance choice.

In Nauvoo, horticulturists have been using liriope as a ground cover around trees, often mowing it down once a year in early spring. This helps keep it under control.

Creeping lilyturf (Liriope spicata) is one of the two species commonly found in garden centers, but be aware that it can be an aggressive spreader if not contained. Blue lilyturf (Liriope muscari) is another option, which is a bit larger but spreads slowly.

Both species of lilyturf produce flower spikes in mid-to-late summer.

If you're looking for a low-maintenance option to cover the space underneath a tree, consider using a groundcover like Periwinkle (Vinca minor). It's perfect for shady areas and can spread up to 36-60 inches wide.

Periwinkle has glossy evergreen leaves on long, creeping stems, and it produces blue flowers. This makes it a great choice for adding some color to your garden without requiring too much upkeep.

For larger areas, Wintercreeper (Euonymus fortunei) is an excellent option. It can spread 3 to 6 feet wide and is hardy from zone 4 to zone 8. Plus, it can grow in full sun to full shade, making it a versatile choice.

If you're looking for a more compact option, Sedum (Sedum spurium) is a good choice. It has trailing stems with bright summer flowers in several color forms and can spread up to 12-18 inches wide.

Here's a quick rundown of some popular groundcovers that do well under trees:

Growing and maintaining groundcovers under trees requires some special care.

For example, Creeping Thyme is a low-maintenance option that can thrive in poor soil and requires minimal watering, making it perfect for areas under trees where soil quality may be compromised.

Creeping Thyme can also tolerate foot traffic, but be sure to trim it regularly to keep it from spreading too far.

Pachysandra is another option that prefers shade, but it does require more frequent watering than Creeping Thyme.

Growing and maintaining plants can be a breeze if you choose the right ones.

Most groundcover plants are easy to grow and require little care. They thrive even in difficult locations and are usually not affected by pests or diseases.

These plants are often shade-tolerant, making them suitable for areas under larger plants. However, there are also plants that can handle hot, dry places.

The Mother of thousands plant is a great example of a low-maintenance option. It can grow in acidic woodland soils or heavy, acidic clay soil.

In the South, it can even endure long, hot summers.

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Carex Pensylvanica is a great option for a groundcover in the Midwest, particularly for difficult situations.

It's a perfect groundcover for the Midwest for a difficult situation.

Spacing is the single most important consideration when planting, and it's crucial to get it right to achieve the best appearance and reduce weed growth.

For an edging or row planting, space plants about two-thirds of their maximum spread apart. This will create a dense mat of foliage.

For example, if a plant has a spread of 18 inches, space your individual plants about 12 inches apart when planting.

Planting in rows can look neat, but it's often too uniform for a natural look.

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Some groundcovers thrive in specific conditions, making them perfect for areas with unique challenges.

Creeping thyme can tolerate dry soil and full sun, making it ideal for areas with poor drainage.

If your tree's roots are shallow, consider using a groundcover like creeping juniper, which can handle drought and compacted soil.

Creeping thyme also requires minimal maintenance, as it can survive with infrequent watering and pruning.

If you have a shady corner in your yard where nothing grows, there's good news: you don't have to settle for a bare spot. Many plants can thrive in shade and cover large areas of ground without a lot of sun.

Ivy, once the go-to choice for shade ground cover, is no longer the only option. In fact, it's not even considered for many gardeners today.

A wider selection of plants is now available to tackle shady spots, and they're often more attractive and weed-resistant than ivy.

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Sweet woodruff makes a dense, 15-inch-high ground cover with numerous clusters of fragrant, white, star-shaped flowers in early summer.

This Eurasian species is a vigorous spreader, so keep an eye on it in cultivated beds where it can run rampant with plenty of moisture and fertile, acidic soil.

The heat in the South can be harmful to sweet woodruff, but it can thrive if provided with shade and constant moisture.

For good flowering, keep the soil consistently moist with a pH of 5.5 to 7, and it will reward you with beautiful, fragrant blooms.

Solomon's Seal is a great choice for woodland gardens. It does well as a ground cover or in a flower bed.

This plant is perfect for shady spots, growing up to 8 inches tall with soft green leaves. It produces small, bell-shaped flowers in the spring and bluish black fruit in the fall.

Solomon's Seal grows loosely at first, but its rhizomes will spread fast and wide in fertile, acidic woodland soil. It's a quick way to cover a large area.

The berries of Solomon's Seal are poisonous to animals and children, so be sure to keep them out of reach.

Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) is a native wildflower that thrives in naturalized settings.

This plant is a signal of spring, with its umbrella-like leaves unfolding from the forest floor.

Mayapple is a temporary resident, sticking around only until the end of the growing season.

It makes a big impact in the spring landscape, adding a unique touch to the garden.

As a ground cover, Mayapple works well in naturalized settings, adding texture and interest to the area.

Shade is always a problem, because so few plants grow well in it and carpeting shady spots beneath trees or larger shrubs is probably the most common need around the garden.

Luckily we have a selection of tough plants that will do the job perfectly, such as sweet woodruff, which can cover areas under full shade trees.

It's a good idea to provide shade-loving plants with constant moisture and fertile, acidic soil to encourage good flowering.

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In the South, sweet woodruff can be harmed by heat, but with shade and moisture, it can thrive.

Shrubs with open ground beneath them can be a challenge, but spreading plants like sweet woodruff can create a carpet of green, conserve moisture, and reduce weed growth.

These plants can even hide falling leaves, reducing or eliminating the chore of raking them up.

Creeping Thyme is a low-growing, spreading groundcover that can thrive under trees with as little as 4 hours of direct sunlight per day. It's also drought-tolerant, making it a great choice for areas with poor soil.

Vinca minor, also known as Periwinkle, is another popular option that can tolerate a range of soil conditions. It's evergreen, so it provides year-round coverage.

Pachysandra is a slow-growing, shade-tolerant groundcover that's perfect for areas with dense tree canopies. It's also easy to care for, requiring minimal pruning and watering.

Dwarf Solomon's seal is a great choice for shady spots, creating a plush cover with its deciduous stems clothed in soft green leaves.

It produces small, bell-shaped flowers in spring, followed by small, bluish black, ball-shaped fruit. Dwarf Solomon's seal grows loosely at first, but its rhizomes will spread fast and wide when it matures in fertile, acidic woodland soil.

This plant does well in considerable shade and tolerates tree-root competition, making it a great option for areas with existing trees. It will become ragged and go dormant early unless supplied with plenty of water during hot, dry summers.

Growing groundcover plants like Dwarf Solomon's seal is easy, as they're tough and low-maintenance, thriving even in difficult locations.

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Lilyturf can grow anywhere, making it a versatile option for any garden. It's barely hardy in Zone 6a, but it thrives in warmer climates and can spread vigorously.

Lilyturf is incredibly adaptable and can tolerate a wide range of conditions, including extreme heat and dryness. It doesn't care about the type of soil it grows in, and it can handle both full sun and partial shade.

One thing to watch out for is stagnant water in the ground, as this can harm lilyturf. But with proper care, it can be a low-maintenance and beautiful addition to your garden.

Lilyturf is often a slow grower, but applying slow-release fertilizers can give it a boost and help it establish more quickly. This can make a big difference in how quickly your garden fills in with lush, green coverage.

The two species of lilyturf you're most likely to find in garden centers are creeping lilyturf and blue lilyturf. Creeping lilyturf can be an aggressive spreader if not contained, while blue lilyturf is a bit larger but spreads more slowly.

Goldenstar is an elegant, long-lived, native ground cover with dazzling yellow blossoms scattered over a rich, green carpet of leaves.

It spreads into a tight, low-growing ground cover that is 4 to 6 inches high, making it perfect for areas where you want a lush, yet compact, look.

Spring brings many bright, yellow, daisy-like flowers, which reappear in late summer, providing a beautiful display of color.

Native to our eastern deciduous forests, Goldenstar likes a bit of morning sun for better blooms but will adapt to medium to full shade.

It's hardy in the North and grows well in the South, tolerating hot and dry summers, making it a great choice for areas with varying climates.

A moist, slightly acidic to neutral soil is best for Goldenstar, so be sure to choose a spot with the right conditions.

As a slow but deliberate spreader, Goldenstar is well worth the wait and is suitable for gardens where delicate perennials and wildflowers will be its neighbors.

Hostas are easy to grow and come in a variety of leaf patterns. They're perfect for adding some visual interest to your garden.

Just group a bunch of hostas together, and you never have to weed, says McGinnis. This makes them one of the easiest ground covers to maintain.

Hostas can thrive in part shade to full shade, making them a great option for gardens with limited sunlight. They spread about 1 to 1.5 feet, so be sure to give them enough room to grow.

Get 3-5 different varieties for a stunning display, and enjoy the beautiful blue blooms that hostas have to offer.

Japanese Spurge is a great choice for woodland areas, creating a 2-inch thick carpet when mature.

It's worth noting that like most ground covers, Japanese Spurge can get out of control in some areas.

It prefers moist conditions, so it's not the best choice for very dry spots.

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Begonias are a great choice for new gardeners in the shade, and they come in many different sizes and colours. They can add a pop of colour to your garden.

One of the best things about Begonias is that they are easy to grow and maintain, making them a great option for busy gardeners. My personal favourite are the large Double Begonias.

Begonias can thrive in a variety of conditions, but they do prefer well-draining soil. This will help prevent root rot and other issues.

If you're looking for a statement piece, consider getting a few different varieties of Begonias. This will create a stunning display in your garden.

Groundcover plants are a game-changer for any garden, adding an extra dimension to your design and hiding unsightly soil. They can grow in difficult areas like shady places, damp spots, or dry, sunny places.

A good groundcover should be low-maintenance and require little care. They should grow quickly, but not become invasive and hard to control. Few pests and diseases are a bonus.

Begonias are a great option for shady areas, coming in many different sizes and colors. They're perfect for adding some extra color to your garden.

Barrenwort is another perennial that thrives in dry shade, creating attractive colonies of heart-shaped leaves over time.

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Sedges (Carex spp.) are a great choice for those looking for a low-maintenance groundcover.

Many sedges are native to Illinois and can be found in a variety of soil conditions, from dry to wetlands.

Sedges have triangular stems that give them a grasslike appearance.

The list of sedges seems to grow each year, but some popular species include Pennsylvania sedge, Palm sedge, Gray sedge, and Common wood sedge.

These sedges can grow together over time to create a tough yet delicate textured groundcover.

Sedges can be a good substitute for liriope for those wishing to plant natives.

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