For any landscaped garden, choosing the appropriate kinds of ground cover plants that thrive in full sun is critical. In sunny weather, flowering ground cover plants offer a variety of beautiful hues to your yard. Year-round green cover for your landscaping solutions can be found in many creeping perennial ground covers that can withstand bright sunlight.
It’s vital to assess a number of variables when deciding on the greatest full-sun ground cover plants. Several full sun ground cover types are drought tolerant but need well-drained soil. Also, in the winter after dying back in the sun, certain kinds of perennials that do well in the sun may perish.
You can also plant creeping or clumping perennials that flower if you want to brighten up your garden.
One of the great things about planting creeping perennials is that they help keep weeds away. You can also plant common ground covers on south-facing slopes to prevent soil erosion where they get the sun all day. The majority of ground cover plants are low-maintenance but may need cutting back every year to prevent them from taking over your garden.
You’ll learn about some of the greatest ground cover plants that thrive in full sun in this article. Low-maintenance plants, drought-tolerant creeping plants, and perennials that provide year-round colorful ground cover are all discussed in this section.
Ground Cover Plants for Full Sun (With Pictures and Names) – Identification and Planting Guide
Creeping Phlox
Phlox stolonifera (left) and Phlox subulata (right) are perennial flowering ground covers for full sun
The flowering perennial ground cover Creeping Phlox (Phlox stolonifera) provides a carpet of green cover all year. Creeping Phlox is a discreet plant that helps to cover portions of your garden and looks great in rock gardens with trailing stems. The green cover will change into flowers of various hues of purple, white, blue, or pink every spring.
The plant has creeping stems that grow up to 10” (25 cm) long with small thin green leaves. Flowers on the Creeping Phlox are just under an inch (2.5 cm) in diameter. When planted together, the Creeping Phlox looks like a large green mat that transforms into stunning colors when it flowers.
The Phlox subulata, another evergreen Phlox cultivar, thrives in full sun and blooms. The needle-ike leaves of this ground cover plant produce long, thin petals that bloom throughout the year. Where they get full sun all day, plant creeping phlox plants. USDA hardiness zones 3-9 are ideal for them.
Creeping Thyme
Creeping thyme id a drought tolerant fast growing ground cover plant that thrives in full sun
Every year, the Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum) produces gorgeous purple blooms. It is a low-growing, low-maintenance sun-loving ground cover plant. In your garden, this tough little plant produces tall, long spreading stems that provide excellent evergreen cover. This is a excellent plant to provide you with a green carpet of foliage in vast sunny areas because it is only 1″ to 2″ (2 – 3 cm) tall. You’ll have a massive sea of color with various hues of purple when you’re creeping thyme flowers.
Between stepping stones or as a path border, this fast growing ground cover is a fantastic landscaping option. A drought tolerant evergreen plant with creeping thyme may tolerate periods of dryness. Flowering Creeping Thyme helps you save time by keeping weeds at bay, so it’s a good idea to plant it in your garden. Not only does having this plant in your garden look great, but it also releases nice minty or lemony scents. This hardy range 4 to 8 ground cover thrives in the sun and flourishes on hardy ground.
Lamb’s Ear
Lamb’s ear is an ornamental easy growing ground cover plant
Lamb’s Ear (Stachys byzantina) is one of the best ground covers for sunny areas. The ornamental plant’s silvery leaves cover the ground extremely well and are appropriately named. Edging walkways or flowerbeds is the most common use for this perennial plant. The leaves are 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm) long and have a fuzzy silver-grey color. Every year, Lamb’s Ear produces purple-pink blooms on long stems and blooms.
Rather than providing ground cover with creeping stems, Lamb’s Ear is a clumping plant. So, the best way to use this plant is to plant it in mass to create as much silver ground cover as you require. You also need to make sure that Lamb’s Ear gets plenty of sun throughout the day.
USDA zones 4 – 9 are best for this perennial attractive ground cover plant. During harsh winters, this decorative ground cover plant may die back, but it will regrow in the spring.
Basket of Gold
Basket of Gold (Aurinia saxatilis) is an evergreen perennial ground cover plant for full sun
The robust evergreen ground cover Basket of Gold (Aurinia saxatilis) produces gorgeous golden clusters of blossoms and goes by the appropriately named name.
This low-maintenance bedding plant is suited for dry conditions and is included in the list of perennial ground covers. The plant has a 20-inch (50-centimeter) spread and grows in tiny clumps up to 12 inches (30 centimeters) tall. This blooming perennial prefers full sun and well-drained soil, so plant it there.
However, it should not be confused with plants of the alyssum species, since Basket of Gold is also known as “yellow alyssum.” This carefree low-growing plant delivers year-round ground cover and brilliant blooms if you reside in USDA zones 4 to 7.
Candytuft
Candytuft is a hardy flowering ground cover that loves sunny areas
Candytuft (Iberis sempervirens) is a drought-tolerant perennial that blooms yearly in the spring and thrives in bright conditions.
This hardy short woody plant, which reaches a height of about a foot (30 cm), thrives in the sun and requires little water. When planted in sunny locations, the plant provides excellent ground cover. In rock gardens, this flowering plant adds a pop of color.
Candytuft’s leaves are 1″ to 3″ (1.5 to 7.5 cm) long and are narrow and green throughout the year. Late in the spring, beautiful white ground cover emerges from clusters of white fragrant flowers.
Perennial Candytuft grows well in USDA hardiness zones 3 – 9 and survives frost and cold winters well.
Angelina Sedum
Angelina Sedum is a spreading evergreen ground cover plant that thrives in sunny areas and is suitable for landscaping. This low-growing, the evergreen ground cover plant resembles dwarf spruce trees and spreads quickly to cover a large area.
The drought-tolerant perennial features soft needle-like leaves and produces yellow flowers every summer. This sun-loving ground cover grows to be between 6 and 10 inches (15 and 25 cm) tall.
Green-leaved Sedum is the most popular kind, but blue-grey or yellow leaves are seen on other spreading types.
For this ground cover plant to thrive, plant it in sunny areas of your garden. USDA zones 5 to 8 are ideal for Angelina sedum.
Brass Buttons
Brass Buttons (Leptinella squalida) is a kind of blooming spreading plant that’s ideal for spreading across your garden’s sunny portions. This sun-loving ground cover can be used to edge walkways or as an attractive plant in a rock garden.
Only 2 inches (5 cm) of height growth is seen on brass buttons with the creeping plant. Cutting the stems back will not stop them from spreading out.
Brass Buttons’ lovely yellow button-like flowers are another reason to utilize Brass Buttons as a landscaping idea. When they bloom, they provide a lot of colors. The cultivar “Platt’s Black” is a good choice for a more dramatic effect in your garden.
Purple-black thick foliage distinguishes this as a low-growing ground cover plant. USDA hardiness zones 5 through 9 are ideal for this creeping plant.
Creeping Juniper
Creeping Juniper is a fast growing hardy ground cover plant for large sunny areas
Creeping Juniper (Juniperus horizontalis), which is a shrubby kind of low-growing plant, is another fast-spreading ground cover plant. This evergreen perennial can grow to be many meters wide and is sometimes known as the Creeping Cedar.
The plant creates a thick mat over the ground after it has matured and is well established. Covering sunny slopes or large areas of ground with landscaping is also a good option.
Between 4″ and 8″ (10 – 20 cm) tall, this ground cover for the sun grows. This plant needs full sun to maximize its growth potential and will stay green all year.
Between zones 3 and 9, this hardy creeping ground cover plant thrives. Other types of plants are difficult to grow on this ground cover.
Golden Creeping Jenny
Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’ is a fast spreading ground cover plant that loves full sun
The Golden Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea) is a great landscaping option if you’re looking for a low-maintenance ground cover plant. Long, dangling spherical leaves look fantastic in a hanging basket or covering a sunny hillside.
This sun-loving ground cover plant has long, dangling spherical leaves. The star-shaped yellow bloom brightens up gardens in the summer, and the spreading stem roots give it a large spread. The blooms reach a diameter of 0.7 inches (2 cm).
Since it is a fast-spreading plant but not as invasive as other Lysimachia cultivars, the Golden Creeping Jenny is the best choice. You can plant it around ponds or in soggy sections of your garden since this creeping plant prefers wet or damp soil.
The plant, on the other hand, can tolerate drier soil. This is a USDA hardiness zone 3 – 9 cold-hardy ground cover. The plant might be an evergreen or a deciduous perennial depending on the climate.
Big Root Geraniums
Big Root Geranium is a flowering low maintenance ground cover for full sun
Big Root Geraniums (Geranium Macrorrhizum) can provide colorful ground cover if your garden gets a lot of sun. You may get a white, pink, purple, or magenta flower type depending on the kind of Big Root Geranium.
Your sunny garden will be covered with large green leaves that spread out and provide ground cover. Geranium stems reach a height of 12 inches (30 cm) and a breadth of up to 24 inches (60 cm).
Big Root Geraniums are easy-care plants that need little attention once they’ve been established. These spreading plants eliminate weeds and create a thick carpet of lush green leaves when planted in full sun. The green ground cover becomes an explosion of pink blossoms in the late spring and early summer.
The Apple Geranium is a drought-tolerant cultivar that provides excellent ground cover if you live in a hot environment. In gravel gardens, flowerbed borders, or as a colorful ground cover, some ideas for using spreading geraniums in landscaping are listed below. USDA zones 3-8 are ideal for Hardy geraniums.
Showy Evening Primrose
Oenothera speciosa is a drought tolerant flowering ground cover
Oenothera speciosa, also known as Showy Evening Primrose, is a highly drought-tolerant herbaceous perennial ground cover. These plants have thick leaves that help to provide ground cover when necessary.
These blooming plants require complete sunlight for their brilliant flowers to bloom, even if they may thrive in shaded spots. Evening Primrose cultivars thrive in well-drained soil. In drier conditions, the flowers will be smaller, but these plants are drought-resistant.
The Showy Evening Primrose spreads by taking root on the ground. This pink flowering ground cover can be invasive when left to its own devices. The leaves may be up to 4 inches (10 cm) long and 1.5 inches (4 cm) broad and are long and broad.
Delicate pink blooms appear in the middle of June and last until the autumn. Pinkladies, Mexican primrose, and pink evening primrose are some of the names for this showy ground cover.
Veronica Prostrata
Veronica prostrata is a blue flowering ground cover that grows well in sunny conditions
In the summer, the blue ground cover produced by the Prostrate Speedwell (Veronica prostrata) variety of Veronica. A semi-evergreen that thrives in sunny environments, this low-growing kind of perennial plant is referred to as.
A mat-forming ground cover that spreads continuously is the Prostrate Veronica. The tall showy plant produces blue flowers in early summer and grows between 6″ and 8″ (15-20 cm).
Rock gardens, patios, and pathways with lovely borders are ideal habitats for the Prostrate Veronica. Even in soils that have an occasional drought, this kind of spreading ground cover plant is carefree and thrives in most soils.
This Veronica variety is a suitable landscaping option if you need to “carpet” an region of your garden that is exposed to constant sunlight. Cold hardiness zones 4 – 8 are ideal for the plant.
Blue Star Creeper
Blue Star Creeper is a ground cover plant that thrives in full sun
Blue Star Creeper (Isotoma fluviatilis), a low-growing mat plant that thrives in sunny gardens with thick ground cover, is ideal for such settings. The ground is covered with stemmed from the Blue Star Creeper (also known as swamp isotome), which grows along the ground.
The creeping plant is a excellent substitute for grass in areas where grass cannot grow because it only grows to be about 3 inches (7 cm) tall. During the spring and summer, you may also enjoy tiny blooms from the Blue Star Creeper.
This kind of ground cover plant grows well in the shade, even though it thrives in full sun. In reality, the ability to grow in most situations is one of the reasons why this no-fuss ground cover is a popular landscaping option. On sunny hillsides, between stepping stones, and beneath shrubs, this creeping perennial is ideal.
In full sun, partial shade, or even full shade, plant Blue Star Creepers. Plant it in an area that receives plenty of sunlight if you want to enjoy its blue blooming cover. USDA hardiness zones 6-9 are ideal for the spreading plant.
Ajuga
Ajuga (Ajuga reptans) is a flowering perennial ground cover that grows well in full sun or shaded area
Ajuga (Ajuga reptans) is a hardy perennial plant that thrives equally well in full sun as it does in partial shade. It is a versatile ground covering perennial plant.
Anywhere in your garden, this fast spreading shrub provides thick groundcover. Dark green leaves with streaks of purple and violet, Ajuga reptans (also known as bugleweed or carpetweed) is a plant. The encroaching plant develops a thick carpet of foliage where grass is difficult to establish, and it doesn’t grow particularly tall off the ground.
The enormous blue blooming spikes that emerge at the conclusion of summer are one of the most striking aspects of bugleweed. This plant requires some care since it is fast-growing. This perennial evergreen can tolerate dry soil when it comes to soil quality.
Ajuga, on the other hand, thrives in rich soil with abundant moisture in full sun. This is a fantastic option for covering a large expanse of land.
In sunny places, you can establish ajuga to create dense ground coverage. You can also place it around trees, beneath shrubs, or on shaded slopes if you want green cover in the shade. USDA hardiness zones 3-10. Plant it.
Barren Strawberry
Barren Strawberry is a flowering evergreen perennial ground cover
The clumping type of ground cover plant Barren Strawberry (Waldsteinia fragarioides) thrives in full sun. Being an evergreen perennial, this low-spreading plant provides green ground cover all year and is practically carefree.
The plant’s strawberry-like foliage is one of its most distinguishing features. The plant has a 12″ (30 cm) spread and grows to an average height of 4″ (10 cm). A thick evergreen mat will develop if several of this ground cover are planted.
Yellow showy blooms appear on the plant in early spring, adding a splash of color to your garden. Plant the Barren Strawberry plant in full sun and ensure the soil is moist to ensure that it thrives. This spreading plant may also thrive in partial shade, which you might discover. USDA zones 4-7 are home to Barren Strawberries.
Soapwort
Soapwort is a flowering ground cover that loves full sun
Soapwort (Saponaria officinalis) is another mat-forming perennial that can tolerate a lot of sun and summer heat. The Max Frei cultivar of soapwort is the optimum variety for your groundcovering landscape. If you need huge scale ground cover, this fast-growing, low-height clumpy plant is a good choice. Landscape a slope that gets consistent sunlight all day with the plant, which is an excellent option.
Soapwort, also known as Max Frei, produces gorgeous pink or purple blooms all summer and fall. It grows to a height of barely over a foot (30 cm). Despite its availability in most countries, this is not a common ground cover plant. If you add this colorful ground cover, you can have a stunning and unusual feature in your garden.
USDA hardiness zones 4 through 8 are ideal for soapwort.
Snow-in-Summer
Snow-in-Summer is a creeping perennial ground cover that grows well in full sun
Plant the perennial Snow-in-Summer (Cerastium tomentosum) if you want white flowering ground cover throughout the summer. When it blossoms, this is a low-lying spreading plant with light green leaves and a lot of white flowers.
Little silky green leaves characterize the Snow-in-Summer, which is a creeping perennial. It has a lot of foliage, which is beneficial for concealing sections of your garden that are exposed to a lot of sun.
These bushy plants grow to a height of 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm). In most soils with adequate drainage, they will quickly take root. White petals up to 7 mm long adorn the tiny blooms. This plant produces a mat-covering when it is well established, and it blooms at a time when it is easy to see why.
This spreading plant may be cultivated on walls, on patios, or to brighten a sunny slope. USDA zones 3 – 7 are ideal for this hardy, sun-loving perennial.