Indiana’s Native Ground Cover Plants

Growing ground cover on your property can help keep your outdoor areas neat. For landscaping purposes, ground cover plants provide a natural defense against weed growth and soil erosion. Ground cover plants also require little maintenance, and they propagate on their own. Once you establish these perennial species on your property, you can sit back and expect to see their lovely ornamental blooms once every year.

White blue-eyed grass

Sisyrinchium albidum is a member of the iris family and just one of the over 40 varieties of blue-eyed grass found throughout North America. White blue-eyed grass stems appear rigid, narrow and grass-like, but their mid-spring blooms are white with a bright yellow center. Plant other kinds of blue-eyed grass to speckle your yard in bright blue come early summer.

• Zones: 4 to 9
• Growing conditions: Partial sun to full sun
• Height: 8 to 18 inches
• Spread: 6 to 10 inches

Wild ginger

Also known as Canadian wild ginger, this plant produces two large, heart-shaped leaves. The dark, reddish or greenish flower of Asarum canadense is sometimes easy to miss since it is tucked between the two leafstalks at ground level. This plant attracts butterflies that will surely add vibrant color to your outdoor space.

• Zones: 3 to 8
• Growing conditions: Partial shade to full shade
• Height: 3 to 6 inches
• Spread: 1 to 2 feet

Jacob’s ladder

With an eye-catching blue to purple wildflower that blooms around May, Polemonium reptans will sprout tall, slender stems and compound leaves shaped like rungs. Though this plant prefers shaded areas, its bell-shaped flowers offer striking fluorescent colors that will stand out wherever you plant Jacob’s ladder.

• Zones: 3 to 8
• Growing conditions: Partial shade to full shade
• Height: 12 to 18 inches
• Spread: 12 to 18 inches

Wild stonecrop

Sedum ternatumis easy to maintain on well-drained soils and features star-shaped, white blooms that open closer to May. Wild, or woodland, stonecrop makes a hardy addition to rock gardens, sloped grounds and the banks of water systems. The plant sits low to the ground but spreads quite quickly.

• Zones: 4 to 8
• Growing conditions: Partial sun to full sun
• Height: 6 to 12 inches
• Spread: 6 to 9 inches

Wild geranium

A versatile plant that thrives under many conditions, Geranium maculatum produces five-petal blooms in pink, purple and white from mid-spring to mid-summer. Pollinators will flock to visit your flowered geranium colony, and in the fall, the leaves change to hues of red and orange. The plant has an interesting way of propagating itself by launching its seeds up to 30 feet, so expect the spread to be a bit unpredictable.

• Zones: 3 to 8
• Growing conditions: Partial sun to full sun
• Height: 6 to 12 inches
• Spread: 6 to 9 inches

Add Fast-Growing Ground Cover to Your Property Today

Ricci’s Landscape Management has you covered when it comes to adding beautiful, natural and sustainable plants to your lawn or landscape bed. Our design specialists serving Northwest Indiana and the surrounding areas can help you design a landscape to be proud of, year after year. Request a project quote online today!