Finding the perfect ground cover for shaded areas in your garden can be a challenge.
Many plants struggle without direct sunlight, but these shade-tolerant ground covers thrive in low-light conditions, making them an ideal choice for landscaping beneath trees, along pathways, or in dim corners of your yard.
Not only do these plants add beauty and texture, but they also help prevent soil erosion, reduce weed growth, and require minimal maintenance.
Below are 20 of the best shade-loving ground covers that will bring life to your garden with their unique foliage and flowers.
Why Choose Shade-Loving Ground Covers?
Ground covers are not just “fillers” – they’re multifunctional plants that improve the overall health and appearance of your landscape.
Here’s why they’re worth planting:
- Low maintenance: Many shade-tolerant ground covers are hardy, resilient, and self-spreading.
- Weed prevention: Dense mats of foliage smother unwanted weeds naturally.
- Soil improvement: Some varieties enrich soil with organic matter and help regulate moisture.
- Aesthetic value: They add texture, seasonal flowers, colorful foliage, and vibrant greenery to shaded spaces.
- Problem solving: Ideal for tough-to-grow spots under trees, along slopes, and in heavily shaded garden beds.
Now, let’s explore the top 20 shade-loving ground covers that will bring your garden to life.
1. Blue Lily Turf (Liriope muscari)
Blue lily turf is a versatile evergreen ground cover that forms grass-like clumps of arching foliage.
In summer, it produces striking purple flower spikes that rise above the leaves, followed by small black berries in fall.
Height: 12 inches
Blooms: Purple flowers in summer
Best for: Borders, walkways, and shaded garden edges
Care: Low maintenance, drought-resistant
2. Spotted Dead-Nettle (Lamium maculatum)
Spotted dead-nettle is prized for its variegated silver and green foliage, which brightens up dark garden corners.
It spreads quickly to form a dense mat and produces small pink, purple, or white flowers in spring and summer.
Height: 6-12 inches
Blooms: Pink, white, or purple flowers
Best for: Woodland gardens, shaded flower beds
Care: Thrives in poor soil, deer-resistant
3. Common Periwinkle (Vinca minor)
Periwinkle is a classic ground cover with glossy evergreen leaves and delicate violet-blue flowers that appear in spring.
It spreads vigorously, making it one of the most effective weed suppressors for shaded areas.
Height: 6 inches
Blooms: Blue or violet flowers
Best for: Large shady areas, suppressing weeds
Care: Easy to grow, drought-resistant
4. Creeping Saxifrage (Saxifraga stolonifera)
Creeping saxifrage creates a lush carpet of round green leaves with red-tinged undersides.
In late spring, it sends up delicate stems topped with white, star-like flowers that add brightness to shady corners.
Height: 6 inches
Blooms: White star-shaped flowers
Best for: Flower beds, rocky gardens
Care: Prefers moist soil, cold-hardy
5. Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense)
This low-growing perennial has heart-shaped leaves that form a thick, attractive mat of greenery.
Though its small brown flowers are hidden beneath the foliage, wild ginger shines as a ground cover in deep shade.
Height: 2-4 inches
Blooms: Small brown flowers (hidden under foliage)
Best for: Woodland gardens, under trees
Care: Requires moist soil, deer-resistant
6. Impatiens (Impatiens walleriana)
Impatiens are one of the most colorful shade ground covers, producing vibrant blooms in nearly every color of the rainbow.
Perfect for mass plantings, they bring seasonal brightness to shady areas.
Height: 12-18 inches
Blooms: Pink, red, orange, white, or purple flowers
Best for: Edging, containers, and mass plantings
Care: Needs regular watering, prefers rich soil
7. Variegated Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea)
This creeping perennial has rounded leaves with creamy white edges, creating striking contrast in shady beds.
In spring, it produces clusters of tiny purple flowers that attract pollinators.
Height: 4-8 inches
Blooms: Tiny purple flowers
Best for: Rock gardens, shaded slopes
Care: Spreads quickly, drought-resistant
8. Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia)
Creeping Jenny is a vigorous spreader with bright chartreuse leaves that stand out in shaded areas.
Its trailing habit makes it a great option for both ground cover and containers.
Height: 2-4 inches
Blooms: Yellow flowers in spring
Best for: Pathways, hanging baskets, moist areas
Care: Needs consistent moisture, invasive if unchecked
9. Blue Star Creeper (Isotoma fluviatilis)
Blue star creeper forms a fine-textured carpet dotted with dainty blue star-shaped flowers from spring through fall.
It’s tough enough to grow between stepping stones.
Height: 2-6 inches
Blooms: Blue flowers from spring to fall
Best for: Between stepping stones, rock gardens
Care: Tolerates foot traffic, low maintenance
10. Hosta (Hosta spp.)
Hostas are among the most popular shade plants, valued for their large, textured leaves that range from solid green to variegated blue, gold, or white.
Many also produce spikes of lavender or white flowers in summer.
Height: 12-36 inches
Blooms: Lavender or white flowers
Best for: Borders, mass plantings, garden edges
Care: Requires moist soil, attracts hummingbirds
11. Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis)
Bunchberry is a member of the dogwood family that grows close to the ground. It offers multi-season interest with white flowers in spring, followed by clusters of bright red berries in summer.
Height: 9 inches
Blooms: White flowers in spring
Best for: Under trees, woodland settings
Care: Prefers cool, moist soil
12. Carpet Boxwood (Pachysandra terminalis)
Carpet boxwood is an evergreen ground cover with glossy dark green leaves. It spreads slowly but steadily to create dense coverage in shady spots.
Height: 6-12 inches
Best for: Under trees, shady borders
Care: Requires well-draining soil, deer-resistant
13. Yellow Archangel (Lamium galeobdolon)
This fast-spreading plant has silvery variegated leaves and produces cheerful yellow flowers in late spring. It’s vigorous enough to cover problem shady areas.
Height: 12 inches
Best for: Shady areas with poor soil
Care: Drought-tolerant, spreads rapidly
14. Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides)
Christmas fern is a hardy, evergreen fern that keeps its green foliage throughout winter. It’s excellent for erosion control and naturalized plantings in shady spaces.
Height: 18-24 inches
Best for: Woodland gardens, erosion control
Care: Low maintenance, deer-resistant
15. Mint (Mentha spp.)
Mint is a fragrant, fast-spreading ground cover that not only fills shady spaces but also repels mosquitoes.
It’s highly versatile, but can become invasive without regular trimming.
Height: 6-12 inches
Best for: Herb gardens, shaded patios
Care: Needs regular trimming to prevent overgrowth
16. Wandering Jew (Tradescantia zebrina)
This colorful trailing plant features purple and silver-striped leaves that shine in both shade and partial sun.
It’s often grown in hanging baskets but also makes an attractive ground cover in frost-free zones.
Height: 6-12 inches
Best for: Hanging baskets, indoor & outdoor use
Care: Requires moderate watering, fast-growing
17. Barrenwort (Epimedium spp.)
Barrenwort is a tough ground cover with delicate, heart-shaped foliage and tiny, graceful flowers in spring.
It’s especially valued for tolerating dry shade.
Height: 8-12 inches
Best for: Under trees, shaded flower beds
Care: Drought-tolerant, deer-resistant
18. Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans)
Bugleweed is a vigorous ground cover with bronze or green foliage and upright spikes of blue-purple flowers in late spring. It’s great for suppressing weeds and quickly filling bare ground.
Height: 4-6 inches
Best for: Lawn replacement, pathways
Care: Spreads quickly, weed-suppressing
19. Golden Star Grass (Chrysogonum virginianum)
Golden star grass is a cheerful perennial that produces star-shaped yellow flowers from spring into fall. Its low, spreading habit makes it ideal for ground coverage.
Height: 6 inches
Best for: Woodland borders, shaded slopes
Care: Prefers moist soil, easy to grow
20. Purple Heart (Tradescantia pallida)
Purple heart is a bold, colorful ground cover with deep purple foliage that stands out in shade. It produces small pink flowers throughout the summer and grows quickly.
Height: 12 inches
Best for: Shady fences, barriers, or hanging pots
Care: Drought-resistant, fast-growing
Choosing the right shade-loving ground cover can transform tricky, low-light areas into lush, vibrant garden features.
Whether you prefer the bold foliage of hostas, the bright blooms of impatiens, or the low-maintenance carpet of periwinkle or pachysandra, there’s a plant here to suit every landscape need.
