25 fast growing and undemanding ground cover for your garden

Ground cover in the garden inspire with their effective application possibilities and the dense foliage. Regardless of whether the plants resemble a carpet, upholstery or pillow, they hold up weed back and ensure that the soil is good. In addition, suitable species and genera can be found for every location from sun to partial shade to completely dark corners, which get along well with the respective light offer. If these should also be fast-growing and undemanding, nature and breeders have also taken care of this.

Ground cover

Purpose of use

If you are looking for fast-growing ground cover that is undemanding, you probably won't want to wait long for a closed plant cover. In most gardens, individual beds or entire sections of the garden are planted with ground cover, especially if none race is in prospect. Ground cover plants play a particularly important role in Asian garden concepts, as they are used as an everlasting element. In the home gardens, undemanding and fast-growing ground cover plants can also plant other locations:

• Walls
• Rock gardens
• Roadsides
• Raised beds
• Pond and brook edges

This is only a small selection of areas for which the plants are suitable. Since these grow quickly, you have to deal with weeds even less, as the plant cover is formed quickly without you having to do a lot of work yourself. These plants do just as well in winter, as in most cases they are evergreen and therefore present their foliage under the snow even during the cold season. Ground cover plants are also suitable for different location lighting conditions:

• Sun
• Penumbra
• the shade

This way, you can plant even the darkest corners of your garden without having to worry about a lack of light, which could be difficult for the plants.

tip: When planting ground cover, it is essential to pay attention to the appropriate planting density, otherwise light problems can quickly arise if they are planted too close together. It also takes a long time until a uniform carpet has formed if the individual copies are too far apart and thus first have to grow together.

25 ground cover for the garden from A - Z

Because of their properties in terms of growing and suppressing weeds, ground covers have become popular crops that you can easily plant in your garden. As already mentioned above, there are special species and some genera that are ideal for quick and uncomplicated planting in sun, partial shade and shade. The following list of 25 ground cover plants that are fast growing and undemanding will help you choose suitable specimens.

Ground cover from A - G

Andean cushion

The name of the Andean cushion (bot. Azorella trifurcata) to function as a ground cover species. The dense cushions are deep green and can even be planted in partial shade to freshen up darker locations.

Elven flower

Elven flowers (bot. Epimedium) are particularly suitable if you choose a clump-forming variety, as these grow faster to form a dense cushion. Its charm lies above all in the unpretentiousness and in the picturesque flowers.

ivy

Ivy (bot. Hedera helix) is ideal for shady places and belongs to those plants that spread quickly and even have to be restricted in growth. Ideal when things have to be done quickly.

Finger bush

The beautiful flowers and the width of 80 centimeters make the finger shrub (bot. Potentilla fruticosa) has become a popular ground cover for that certain something.

Lady's mantle 'Thriller'

This variety of lady's coat (bot. Alchemilla mollis 'Thriller') is robust, easy to care for and suitable for a variety of different lighting conditions. It forms clumps that reach heights of a maximum of 40 centimeters and are completely hardy.

Big evergreen

The great evergreen (bot. Vinca major) is just as undemanding as the small one, has the same requirements and only differs in the flower size. These are four to five centimeters for the large, two to three centimeters for the small. The shape stays the same.

Ground cover from H - I

Hazel root

The domestic hazel (bot. Asarum europaeum) is known as a ground cover that prefers partially shaded locations and has deep green leaves that immediately catch the eye due to their characteristic round shape. If you have problems with voles, hazel root is interesting because the peppery flower smell is supposed to scare them off.

Houseleek

Hauswurzen (bot. Sempervivum) are well-known and popular ground cover plants that cannot tolerate shade, but dry, hot or extremely cold locations. Its undemanding nature makes it easy to keep and at first glance it does not always look like classic, ground-covering plants due to the high growths. Best of all, the genus is available in numerous species that you can put in the garden.

Holy herb

With the holy herb (bot. Santolina) is an undemanding plant that reaches up to 40 centimeters in height and is a true sun worshiper. If the soil is well drained and there is plenty of sun, the intensely fragrant plant grows incessantly.

High St. John's wort

Another, undemanding plant that quickly forms an extremely dense carpet of yellow flowers is St. John's wort (bot. Hypericum moserianum).

Evergreen creeper

A representative of the ground cover species, which is very popular due to its creeping growth, is the evergreen creeper (bot. Euonymus fortunei). The plant is undemanding, fast-growing and feels good even in partial shade.

Evergreen candytuft

Undemanding and quickly reaching the maximum height of 30 centimeters, Iberis sempervirens is ideal for your sunny rock gardens and walls. The Mediterranean plant only needs to be trimmed every few years and otherwise hardly needs any maintenance.

Ground cover from K - N

Little evergreen

The little evergreen (bot. Vinca minor) loves shade, moisture and is not necessarily the fastest plant, but extremely easy to care for.

Creeping gorse

This extremely decorative type of ground cover, with the botanical name Cytisus decumbens, is kept due to its modesty and the two-centimeter-long, golden-yellow flowers. It is best to plant it on a small scale, as this will make the yellow carpet of flowers look better.

Loquat 'Coral Beauty'

This cotoneaster variety (bot. Cotoneaster dammeri 'Coral Beauty') is recommended not only because of its white flowers and red berries, but also because of its rapid growth. It reaches a full 15 centimeters in the year of planting.

Low purple berry 

The Symphoricarpos chenaultii is your ground cover if you have a garden with different light sources. Regardless of whether it is sunny or fully shaded, the plant with its berries thrives without any problems.

Ground cover with S

Black crowberry

An undemanding perennial that is in a hurry to grow and can withstand almost all light conditions up to light shade. The slight toxicity of the black crowberry (bot. Empetrum nigrum) should be noted. As a precaution, it is better not to eat the berries.

Silver arum

In the genus Silberwurz (bot. Dryas) are low-growing plants that are ideal for use as ground cover. They are provided with white flowers and reach their largest extent within a short time, which makes them ideal for sunny locations that need to be greened quickly.

Prickly pots

The prickly nuts (bot. Acaena) are a genus of carpet-forming plants that grow to 20 centimeters high and do so within a short period of time. They are extremely popular due to their exotic character, which shows up in small flowers that can take on different shapes depending on the species or variety.

Stone seeds

Partial shade and sun in a good mix are important for the location of the stone seeds (bot. Lithodora diffusa). The low-growing shrub does not hold back in growth and inspires with the beautiful flowers over the summer.

Ground cover from T - Z

Carpet gold strawberry

One of the most popular ground cover plants that is fast growing and planted for its short runners is the carpet golden strawberry (bot. Waldsteinia ternata). As a result, a dense blanket with numerous, small flowers forms from mid-spring to the beginning of summer just a short time after planting.

Carpet verbena

This species from Japan, which is a maximum of four centimeters high and is not only an undemanding, but also a hard-wearing ground cover, wants a sunny location. Its botanical name is Phyla nodiflora.

Peat myrtle

At first glance, the undemanding peat myrtle (bot. Pernettya mucronata) can be confused with the heather. Nevertheless, it is a separate species that can reach dimensions of up to 150 centimeters, even in the shade, although partial shade and sun are also tolerated. It forms berries in numerous colors.

Ysander

The fat man is the champion among ground cover plants that can tolerate shade. Because even under trees that hardly let the sun shine on the ground, Ysander (bot. Pachysandra terminalis) grow and spread accordingly. You don't even have to look after the fat man extensively.

Cotoneaster

Also a very well-known genus that is one of the classics in the garden. The cotoneaster (bot. Cotoneaster) a little more care and a full sun, but then it offers you rapid growth and a lot of joy.

tip: In case you are a fan of Roses you can look at different ground cover roses (bot. Rosa) can be planted in the garden as an alternative, as these have a similar function to the typical ground cover. With these, however, it is important to know that, despite their high growth speed, they are quite bad against weeds.