Grassy spaces serve various roles in our landscapes, providing places to play and relax while taking in broad views. Design-wise, they frame the layout, give the eye a place to rest, and create cohesion between garden spaces. More and more, we’re realizing the importance of balancing lawns with richly planted zones that enhance ecological services.
Turf is high-maintenance in terms of resources (requiring chemicals and equipment) and time, and many gardeners are reimagining its role. Lessening turf increases diversity by expanding plant material while supporting pollinators and beneficial insects. Lawn alternatives also help to manage rainwater better than turf.
Lawn alternatives open up options for shady areas where turf struggles. Create broad appeal and enrich resources by implementing shade-loving specimens, from miniature groundcovers to low-growing perennials, ready to infill grassy gaps. The result is a tapestry of interesting texture and variation.
Many plants perform well in partial shade along edges and borders, while others flourish under deep canopy cover. Fall is ideal for making changes and planting new additions. With cooling temperatures, they’ll have time to settle in before winter. Our list of vigorous, low-growing plants is tailor-made for shady spots with interest across the seasons.
Partridgeberry
Low groundcover with small, dark, glossy green leaves on flexible stems.
Partridgeberry forms a handsome, low groundcover with small, dark, glossy green leaves on flexible stems. It bears white flowers in spring and bright red berries in the fall.
The North American native occurs naturally in forests and streambanks with natural flooding and moisture. An adaptable grower, it also tolerates dry shade conditions – a spot many other plants find challenging.
‘Danny’ is a robust variety that forms a dense evergreen mat. Partridgeberry is slow-growing and takes time to mature. ‘Danny’ spreads three feet in five years but forms a delicate-looking, low-maintenance carpet with multi-season appeal.
Green and Gold
It features glossy green leaves and a blanket of yellow, star-shaped flowers in spring and early summer.
Green and gold is native to woodlands in the Eastern U.S. It features glossy green leaves and a blanket of yellow, star-shaped flowers in spring and early summer. Purple berries follow flowering.
After the spring flush, blooms become sparse during intense heat, but fall may yield another round of color. Leaves may show purple-red tinting as temperatures cool.
Green and gold is a bright, cheery solution to challenging shady areas. It forms a dense mat with a medium-to-fast growth rate in average, well-draining soils. Bees and butterflies flock to its flowers while birds forage on its fruits.
Bunchberry
Showy white blossoms dot the fresh green foliage in spring, with drupes of bright red berries in late summer through fall.
A member of the Cornus genus, bunchberry forms the cutest naturalized groundcover with miniature dogwood leaves and flowers. Showy white blossoms dot the fresh green foliage in spring, yielding to drupes of bright red berries in late summer through fall. Autumnal leaf color is red and purple.
The native prefers cool climates and withers in hot summers. It performs best under the canopy of trees and shrubs with dappled light.
Bunchberry grows best in moist soils with high organic matter. Water new plants regularly until roots establish. While the petite beauty doesn’t withstand foot traffic, it brings multi-season interest. Birds forage on the berries, also edible for people.
Christmas Ferns
This fern brings a fountain of green throughout the year.
Ferns fill the understory with a soft, graceful beauty. They’re carefree and exude tranquility in large drifts or among other native plantings.
Christmas fern brings a fountain of green throughout the year. It’s particularly striking in winter, when arching fronds lend a lush look to the landscape, especially when many other perennials are dormant.
Native to the U.S. and Canada, Christmas fern is hardy, adaptable, and serves a variety of landscape uses. It beautifies the shade garden and provides wildlife habitat while helping to stabilize soil on slopes.
False Mondo Grass
It has wider blades in fresh green with a softer texture, making a lush, evergreen understory arrangement.
Reineckea resembles the well-known bladed tufts of liriope and mondo and is from the same native range of Japan and China. It has wider blades in fresh green with a softer texture, making a lush, evergreen understory arrangement in warm climates.
Rosy buds open to fragrant, light lavender flowers on short, spiky stems in the summer. Vibrant orange-red berries appear in fall and persist for winter interest.
‘Greenscape’ is a larger variety that reaches ten inches tall with dense blades. Its lavender flowers appear in late summer and fall, with lilac berries to follow.
False mondo grass does well in well-drained soils of various types and acidity. It tolerates normal seasonal conditions without supplemental irrigation unless hot or dry spells last for extended periods. It spreads through rhizomes to form drifts.
Pennsylvania Sedge
The lush clumps present spikes of reddish-purple inflorescences in late spring.
Carex forms those lovely, soft mounds that tuft gracefully along an open expanse or slope. Pennsylvania sedge creates a green carpet with gently arching blades that don’t need mowing. For a short, grassy appearance, though, mow a few times a year to keep leaves two to three inches tall.
The lush clumps present spikes of reddish-purple inflorescences in late spring. It spreads through rhizomes and may self-seed in optimal conditions, but it isn’t usually an aggressive spreader.
C. pennsylvanica occurs naturally in eastern and central North America in dry woodlands. It prefers loose, loamy, and medium to dry soils.
Wild Ginger
Thick and dark green, their surfaces may be solid or with silver mottling, depending on the variety.
Wild ginger brings subtle beauty and outstanding foliage interest with heart-shaped leaves. Thick and dark green, their surfaces may be solid or with silver mottling, depending on the variety.
The sweet herbaceous perennial has a compact, mounding habit packed with leafy hearts. Their fleshy root has the spicy aroma and flavor of ginger and is edible.
Wild ginger slowly forms a dense colony over time. It prefers moist and well-drained soils but tolerates various types, including clay. Asarum canadense is of North American origin, with large leaves and a preference for cool climates. The species is hardy to zone 6.
Sweet Woodruff
Clusters of white, star-shaped blossoms cover the tops of stems and are lightly fragrant.
Sweet woodruff grows quickly to form a compact, leafy mat of bright green, whorled foliage. In the spring, clusters of white, star-shaped blossoms cover the tops of stems and are lightly fragrant. Leaves become aromatic as they dry and are a fresh addition to pot pourris.
The vigorous groundcover spreads aggressively in prime growing conditions. Growing it in the shade, particularly in cooler climates, helps reduce its growth and keep the creeping stems in bounds.
Sweet woodruff performs best in moist, rich soils. In order to hinder its robust habit, you can grow it in dryer areas and clay soils, where there’s less concern for outgrowing its intended area.
Creeping Phlox
Narrow, semi-evergreen leaves create a loose carpet that showcases the florets.
Creeping phlox is a low-growing, mat-forming creeper with dense foliage. The easy-care perennials are versatile for many situations, from rocky areas to erosion stabilization zones.
In the spring, dainty clusters of fragrant purple-blue flowers appear on the tips of stems. Narrow, semi-evergreen leaves create a loose carpet that showcases the florets and softens the display even when not in color.
‘Sherwood Purple’ yields a crown of lilac shades on short, erect stems that rise above the foliage. It grows vigorously with a uniform habit. ‘Fran’s Purple’ is slightly larger and a strong performer against mildew. ‘Home Fires’ is a robust, pink-blooming variety with good disease resistance.
Bearberry
White summertime blossoms lead to green drupes that turn red in fall.
Bearberry is a hardy, broadleaf evergreen creeper that spreads slowly. This North American native provides interest across the seasons as well as valuable fruits for wildlife. White summertime blossoms lead to green drupes that turn red in fall. The dark green leaves get bronze tinges with winter temperatures.
The rugged grower does best in dry situations and tolerates dappled light under tree canopy. It thrives in arid, cool climates and doesn’t withstand high humidity, growing naturally in dry sites like rocky areas, open woods, and meadows.
Dwarf Mondo
It is a petite grower with compact blades that form little tufts.
Dwarf mondo is a miniature variety of the elegant, slender-leaved species mondo. The species has long blades in clumps that reach one foot tall. Dwarf mondo is a petite grower with compact blades that form little tufts. They slowly reach eight to twelve inches wide.
Dwarf mondo is tidy and versatile across classic, formal, Asian-inspired, and contemporary garden styles. Like its full-sized parent, it gives visual and textural interest to border and walkway edges as well as beneath other plantings.
While adaptable across soil types and tolerant of drought and coastal conditions, mondo doesn’t respond well to foot traffic. For a dark and dramatic cultivar, look to dwarf black mondo (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’) with onyx foliage. Dark-leaved varieties tend to be slower-growing and less vigorous than their green-leafed relatives.
Hellebore
They boast a long bloom time in rich shades from creamy white to blush to wine red.
Hellebores, or lenten roses, offer elegant nodding flowers in late winter and early spring. They boast a long bloom time in rich shades from creamy white to blush to wine red.
Their toothed, palmate leaves provide interest year-round, and exquisite single or double blooms bring beauty when much is quiet in the landscape.
Hellebores thrive in well-drained soils in a woodland setting. They colonize slowly in consistently moist, average soil under canopy cover.
Wintergreen
They give way to bright scarlet berries that decorate bronzey-red foliage in winter.
Wintergreen is a dwarf, evergreen spreader with rounded, leathery leaves that are attractive year-round. Delicate, nodding bell flowers are pinkish-white in summer, and they give way to bright scarlet berries that decorate bronzey-red foliage in winter.
American wintergreen is a Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit recipient. It requires little maintenance, has high ornamental value, and grows across a range of climates.
Additionally, wintergreen leaves have a fresh, minty aroma and flavor. The fruits are a favorite among birds and wildlife. The plant thrives in rich soils with even moisture and good drainage but tolerates drier conditions once established.
Irish Moss
Tiny white, star-shaped flowers sprinkle the layer in spring and freely flower throughout the warm season.
Irish moss creates a verdant carpet of emerald green leaves with creeping stems that reach only one to two inches tall. A single plant spreads up to one foot across, forming a dense, evergreen mat of slender foliage.
Tiny white, star-shaped flowers sprinkle the layer in spring and freely flower throughout the warm season. Flowers produce brown seeds that self-sow to expand the colony. In fact, the colony spreads so readily in certain areas it is classed as invasive. Opt for something else if you live in an area of North America where the plant is invading native ecosystems.
Irish moss tolerates light traffic between stepping stones and along path borders. You can also use it to accent spring-flowering bulbs like crocus, hyacinth, and snowdrops. It does best with regular water and well-draining soils.
Lamium
Prolific pink, purple, or white flowers appear in late spring through early summer.
Lamium, or spotted deadnettle, lightens dark areas with a blanket of bright little leaves in silver, variegated, green, and gold varieties. Prolific pink, purple, or white flowers appear in late spring through early summer, with sporadic blooming until frost.
Ideal growing situations have organically rich, moist, well-drained soils. They tolerate dry sites but wither in overly wet conditions, which leads to crown and stem rot.
Lamium spreads vigorously and is classed as an invasive species in Maryland. Pluck spreading stems to keep them in bounds and orderly amongst other plantings. However, if you live in Maryland, opt for something native on this list.
Woodland Phlox
‘Blue Moon’ has attractive glossy foliage on loosely spreading and mounding stems.
P. divaricata has attractive blue flowers and grows wildly in open woodlands, dappled meadows, and along stream banks. Its loose, informal habit makes it ideal for naturalized and woodland gardens.
Woodland phlox is a sweet spring addition. ‘Blue Moon’ has attractive glossy foliage on loosely spreading and mounding stems. Additionally, this graceful groundcover adds softness across the seasons, with periwinkle blossoms in April and May.
‘Blue Moon’ is noted for its compact habit, flower coverage, and consistent blooms. William Cullina selected the plant growing in the Native Plant Trust’s (then New England Wildflower Society) Garden in the Woods. However, remember to mow plants back after they finish flowering to encourage reblooming.
Blue Star Creeper
A precious evergreen groundcover with tiny leaves and starry blue-white flowers.
Blue star creeper is a precious evergreen groundcover with tiny leaves and starry blue-white flowers in spring and summer. It creates an inviting expanse of soft, true green lushness. While delicate in appearance, it handles foot traffic and is a good option for growing in a swath or between stepping stones.
Blue star is low-maintenance but needs consistent moisture. It adapts to various soil types, including loams, sand, and rocky situations. Each plant spreads one to two feet with a moderate growth rate.
Cast Iron Plant
The tall, upright singular leaves create a wave of dark green.
Cast iron plant has broad sculptural leaves that happily infill dry areas. The tall, upright singular leaves create a wave of dark green, but if you’d like a highlight, choose a variegated selection.
‘Variegata’ (synonym ‘Okame’) adds dramatic interest with wide ivory margins. In contrast, ‘Ippin’ has handsome creamy white-striped leaves in varying widths.
With good drainage, Aspidistra grows in both dry and moist soils. Clip off tattered or winter-damaged fronds for a fresh appearance and to make room for new growth. Where not hardy, you can also overwinter cast iron in containers as houseplants.
Epimedium
Their unique wing-shaped foliage has dramatic mottling, blotching, and venation.
Epimediums (barrenwort and fairy wings) are compact perennials that bring dynamic color, texture, and form for year-round appeal. Their unique wing-shaped foliage has dramatic mottling, blotching, and venation. Orchid-like flowers with delicate spurs emerge in summer.
Epimediums are low-maintenance and grow in conditions other perennials may find challenging, like deep and dry shade. They make lovely accents in groups and with other shade-loving perennials like ferns, astilbe, hellebore, wild ginger, columbine, bleeding heart, and hosta.
Brunnera
Blue flowers punctuate the heart-shaped foliage in spring.
Brunnera features silvery-gray and dark green leaves with heavy venation and patterning. Blue flowers punctuate the heart-shaped foliage in spring.
Brunnera is a top-performing perennial well-suited to a wide range of climates. They’re easy to grow, with great pest and disease resistance. Brunnera grows best in moist, well-draining soils.
Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’ is a Perennial Plant Association’s Perennial of the Year winner. ‘Jack Frost’ features large, silvery leaves with rich veins. Plant ‘Jack Frost’ with hosta and ferns for interest in texture and color.
Hosta
The sculptural foliage in cool blues and bright greens offers textural contrast and visual interest.
Hostas have a variety of leaf shapes, from curly and strappy to broad and cupped. The sculptural foliage in cool blues and bright greens offers textural contrast and visual interest.
Tall bloom scapes in lavender and white float above the leafy base in summer and attract hummingbirds. Hostas pair well with tiarella, Solomon’s seal, and sweet woodruff, among many others.
Provide a well-draining site and keep soil consistently moist for new transplants. For fall-planted hostas, water until the first frost.
Lamb’s Ear
The fuzzy texture and aromatic foliage of lamb’s ear add to their charm.
Lamb’s ear has soft, velvety leaves that create a prolific groundcover. Small pink and purple blooms emerge in the summer, though the foliage is the real draw.
Plants tolerate dry soils, periods of drought, and pollution. However, lamb’s ear withers in overly wet conditions, including high humidity. In warmer climates, opt for ‘Helen von Stein’ (also called ‘Big Ears’) for a more heat-tolerant variety.
The fuzzy texture and aromatic foliage of lamb’s ear add to their charm (and deer resistance). For best vigor, grow them in moist, well-drained soils. Check with your local extension office before planting this one, as it is classed as invasive in areas of North America.
Astilbe
Feathery pyramidal bloom spikes in pink, red, peach, purple, and white rise above mounding leaves.
Astilbe stands out in the summer with frothy, colorful plumes. Feathery pyramidal bloom spikes in pink, red, peach, purple, and white rise above mounding leaves. The glossy green leaves also have tinges of red and copper.
Astilbe grows well with hosta, columbine, ferns, and heuchera. Seed heads develop post-bloom for extended interest.
Astilbe is relatively easy to grow, but consistent soil moisture is vital. They suffer in dry periods. Highly organic soils are ideal for best growth.
Japanese Forest Grass
The narrow-bladed grass contrasts broadleaf and fronded plants like hosta, astilbe, and ferns.
Japanese forest grass, or Hakone grass, adds exceptional texture and color to dark garden spots. With a mounding, cascading habit, the narrow-bladed grass contrasts broadleaf and fronded plants like hosta, astilbe, and ferns. For a bright, golden-green selection with bold appeal, opt for ‘All Gold.’
Japanese forest grass benefits from winter protection in zones 5-6, where mulching with fallen leaves helps insulate plants. It needs fertile soils with good drainage. Poor, overly wet soils cause stress and disease issues.
Tiarella
Its heart-shaped and maple-shaped leaves in colorful patterns give arrangements high texture and contrast.
Tiarella is a lovely native woodlander with striking foliage and delicate flower sprays. Its heart-shaped and maple-shaped leaves in colorful patterns give arrangements high texture and contrast.
A Heuchera relative, tiarella is a tidy, compact plant with attractive mounding foliage. The low-maintenance gems tolerate deep shade and enchant with multi-season interest.
