Looking for easy, colorful plants that cover the ground, fill empty spaces, and keep your garden looking tidy all year round?

Low-growing perennials are small plants that stay close to the ground, making them perfect for filling empty spots in your garden while adding color and helping keep weeds away.
In this article, I’ll explore 23 low growing perennials! Perfect for sunny, shaded, or rocky areas, they bring vibrant color and texture while requiring little maintenance.
So, let’s dig in!
1. Creeping Thyme

Creeping Thyme is a versatile low-growing perennial that forms a dense mat of aromatic foliage, perfect for filling gaps between stepping stones or as ground cover.
Its tiny purple or pink flowers bloom in summer, attracting bees and other pollinators to the garden.
This hardy plant requires minimal maintenance, tolerates foot traffic, and helps suppress weeds, making it an excellent choice for sustainable landscaping.
Watch, Top 15 Part Shade Perennials for Beautiful Potted Gardens
2. Ajuga (Bugleweed)

Ajuga, also known as Bugleweed, is a low-growing perennial prized for its glossy, dark leaves and striking blue flower spikes.
It thrives in shaded areas, adding texture and color to spots where other plants may struggle.
Ajuga spreads rapidly, creating a thick carpet that prevents soil erosion and effectively controls weeds.
3. Candytuft

Candytuft is a cheerful low-growing perennial with delicate white flowers that bloom in early spring, brightening up rock gardens and borders.
Its evergreen foliage remains attractive year-round, providing consistent ground coverage.
Candytuft prefers sunny locations and well-drained soil, making it ideal for edging and low-maintenance landscaping.
4. Moss Phlox

Moss Phlox is a vibrant low-growing perennial that bursts into a blanket of pink, purple, or white flowers in early spring.
It forms a dense, spreading mat that clings to rocky slopes and garden edges, reducing soil erosion.
Its evergreen foliage offers year-round interest, making Moss Phlox a popular choice for ground cover in sunny areas.
5. Veronica ‘Speedwell’

Veronica, or Speedwell, is a charming low-growing perennial known for its spiky blue, pink, or white flowers that bloom throughout the summer.
It stays low to the ground, forming a spreading mat of greenery that fills in bare spots effectively.
This plant attracts butterflies and bees, while its compact habit makes it suitable for edging paths and filling crevices.
6. Lamium (Dead Nettle)

Lamium, also called Dead Nettle, is a low-growing perennial with attractive, variegated foliage and clusters of pink, white, or purple flowers.
It tolerates shade and poor soil, thriving in areas where many other plants might fail.
Lamium’s spreading habit makes it an excellent ground cover that adds a splash of color and texture beneath taller plants.
7. Irish Moss

Irish Moss is a delicate low-growing perennial that creates a lush, green carpet, resembling a soft mossy blanket.
It forms a dense, low mat of tiny leaves and produces small white flowers in spring.
Ideal for filling gaps between pavers, Irish Moss is perfect for areas with moderate foot traffic and adds a natural, lush look to the garden.
8. Mazus Reptans

Mazus Reptans is a robust low-growing perennial with a spreading habit that creates a vibrant green mat covered in blue or white flowers during spring and summer.
It thrives in moist, well-drained soil and is perfect for edging ponds or filling shady areas.
Its low profile makes it ideal for ground cover, as it quickly fills in spaces and reduces the need for mulching.
9. Sedum (Stonecrop)

Sedum, commonly known as Stonecrop, is a drought-tolerant low-growing perennial with fleshy, succulent leaves and clusters of tiny star-shaped flowers.
It thrives in poor, rocky soils, making it a great choice for rock gardens and sunny slopes.
Sedum’s low, spreading habit helps prevent erosion while providing texture and color to any landscape.
10. Sweet Woodruff

Sweet Woodruff is a fragrant low-growing perennial with delicate, whorled leaves and tiny white flowers that bloom in late spring.
It thrives in shaded areas, making it an excellent ground cover for woodland gardens.
Sweet Woodruff spreads quickly, creating a dense mat that suppresses weeds and adds a sweet, vanilla-like fragrance to the garden.
11. Heuchera (Coral Bells)

Heuchera, or Coral Bells, is a low-growing perennial known for its colorful foliage in shades of green, purple, red, and silver.
It features small, bell-shaped flowers that rise above the foliage, attracting hummingbirds and bees.
Heuchera’s compact habit makes it a great choice for borders, rock gardens, and as a ground cover beneath taller perennials.
12. Hellebore

Hellebore is a winter-blooming low-growing perennial with large, nodding flowers in shades of white, pink, purple, and green.
Its evergreen foliage provides year-round interest, while its early blooms offer a welcome splash of color in late winter.
Hellebores are perfect for shaded areas, thriving under trees and adding low-maintenance ground cover.
13. Dianthus (Pinks)

Dianthus, also known as Pinks, is a fragrant low-growing perennial that produces clusters of pink, red, or white flowers.
It forms neat, mounding foliage that works well as ground cover in rock gardens or along garden edges.
Dianthus is loved for its spicy fragrance and is easy to care for, making it a popular choice for low-maintenance gardens.
14. Epimedium (Barrenwort)

Epimedium, or Barrenwort, is a tough low-growing perennial with heart-shaped leaves and delicate, star-like flowers.
It thrives in dry, shady spots where few other plants can survive.
Its foliage turns vibrant shades of red and orange in the fall, providing ground cover with year-round visual interest.
15. Vinca Minor (Periwinkle)

Vinca Minor, or Periwinkle, is a popular low-growing perennial with glossy evergreen leaves and star-shaped blue or white flowers.
It spreads quickly, forming a dense carpet that suppresses weeds and controls soil erosion.
Vinca is ideal for shaded areas, creating a lush, green ground cover even in difficult spots.
16. Japanese Spurge (Pachysandra)

Japanese Spurge, or Pachysandra, is a reliable low-growing perennial known for its glossy, evergreen foliage and small white flowers.
It forms a dense mat that thrives in shaded areas, making it a great ground cover for under trees.
Pachysandra helps prevent soil erosion and requires minimal maintenance once established.
17. Creeping Jenny

Creeping Jenny is a fast-spreading low-growing perennial with bright yellow-green leaves that form a trailing carpet.
Its vibrant foliage cascades beautifully over garden edges and containers, adding a pop of color.
This hardy plant thrives in both sun and shade, providing versatile ground cover for various garden settings.
18. Saxifraga (Rockfoil)

Saxifraga, also known as Rockfoil, is a charming low-growing perennial with clusters of tiny, star-shaped flowers.
It forms a dense rosette of leaves that clings to rocky surfaces, making it ideal for rock gardens.
Saxifraga provides excellent ground cover in sunny, well-drained areas and adds a delicate touch to garden crevices.
19. Lobelia

Lobelia is a colorful low-growing perennial that produces bright blue, red, or white flowers throughout the summer.
It spreads quickly, forming a low mat that fills in garden beds and containers.
Lobelia’s compact growth habit and vibrant blooms make it a great choice for edging and ground cover.
20. Aubrieta

Aubrieta is a tough, evergreen low-growing perennial that forms a mat of purple, pink, or blue flowers in early spring.
It thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, making it perfect for rock gardens and borders.
Aubrieta’s cascading growth habit makes it ideal for covering slopes and spilling over garden walls.
Watch, 10 Affordable & Stylish Garden Edging Ideas
21. Blue Star Creeper

Blue Star Creeper is a spreading low-growing perennial with tiny, star-shaped blue flowers that appear from spring to summer.
It forms a dense mat of green foliage, perfect for filling gaps between stepping stones or as a ground cover in shaded areas.
Blue Star Creeper is hardy and low-maintenance, providing excellent coverage with minimal effort.
22. Armeria (Sea Thrift)

Armeria, or Sea Thrift, is a compact low-growing perennial with tufts of grass-like foliage and bright pink or white flower heads.
It thrives in poor, rocky soil, making it a great choice for rock gardens and coastal areas.
Armeria’s neat, clumping habit makes it a low-maintenance ground cover that withstands harsh conditions.
See, 10 Stunning No-Mow Lawn Ideas with Ground Covers
23. Soapwort

Soapwort is a spreading low-growing perennial known for its fragrant, pale pink flowers that bloom throughout the summer.
It forms a dense, low mat that covers ground effectively, even in poor soil conditions.
Soapwort is often used for rock gardens, slopes, and borders, providing easy-care coverage and a sweet scent.
Low growing perennials are a great way to cover bare soil, add pops of color, and create a tidy, low-maintenance garden that’s both beautiful and useful.
Also watch, 20 Best Perennials for a Low-Maintenance Garden
Whether you need ground cover for sunny spots, shade, or tricky areas, these tough little plants do the job well while attracting pollinators and helping control weeds.
By choosing the right mix, you can enjoy a colorful and healthy garden all year round without the extra work.