Yes, there are many great options for succulent ground cover plants that can provide a living carpet in garden beds and other landscapes. Succulents are ideal for ground cover use because of their low-growing and spreading nature, drought tolerance, and low maintenance needs. With a variety of colors, textures, and growth habits, succulents offer versatility in landscape design. Some popular choices include sedums, ice plants, prostrate-growing aloes and agaves, and carpeting cacti.
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What are succulent ground covers?
Succulent ground cover plants are low-growing, hardy plants that spread to form a dense mat or carpet across the garden bed or landscape area. Most ground cover succulents grow less than 1 foot tall, often just a few inches high, but spread out horizontally. Their fleshy leaves and stems store water, allowing them to thrive with minimal irrigation in hot, dry conditions. Ground cover succulents include both trailing and upright types. Trailing succulents like certain sedums will cascade over walls or down slopes. More upright types like ice plants form dense mats that hug the ground. In addition to decorative appeal, succulent ground covers help suppress weed growth, reduce erosion, and replace water-thirsty grass lawns.
Top options for succulent ground covers
Sedum or Stonecrop
Sedums are popular succulent ground covers that come in a rainbow of colors like green, blue, purple, pink, yellow, and red. They have thick leaves on trailing or upright stems and produce pretty flower clusters during summer. Some top sedums for ground cover include:
– Sedum acre: Mossy Stonecrop, a low green carpet
– Sedum album: White Stonecrop, green leaves edged in white
– Sedum sexangulare: Watchchain Stonecrop, trailing stems of yellow-green rosettes
– Sedum spurium: Two Row Stonecrop, pink or red flowers above green leaves
– Sedum rupestre: Blue Stonecrop, trailing stems with blue-green foliage
– Sedum reflexum: Blue Spruce Stonecrop, blue needles on trailing stems
Ice Plant
Ice plants like Delosperma and Lampranthus offer vibrant flowers and carpet-forming growth. Most ice plants hail from South Africa and come in orange, pink, red, purple, yellow, and white blooms. Ice plant leaves are plump and succulent. Some popular varieties include:
– Delosperma cooperi: Hardy Ice Plant, purple flowers on green foliage
– Lampranthus aureus: Trailing Ice Plant, bright golden blooms
– Delosperma ‘Kelaidis’: Hardy Ice Plant, hot pink flowers
– Lampranthus spectabilis: Trailing Ice Plant, brilliant magenta blooms
Prickly Pear Cactus
While most cacti grow in an upright form, some develop into tight-hugging mats or carpets. Prickly pear cactus (Opuntia) and cholla (Cylindropuntia) offer some of the best low-growing and spreading options. Just watch out for their sharp spines! Choose from:
– Opuntia humifusa: Eastern prickly pear, light yellow flowers
– Opuntia polyacantha: Plains prickly pear, pads up to 5” wide
– Cylindropuntia imbricata: Tree cholla, forms carpets up to 5 feet wide
Woollystem Daisy
Native to California and Arizona, woollystem daisy (Eriophyllum lanatum) makes a pretty drought-tolerant ground cover with its golden yellow daisy blooms and gray-green woolly foliage. Plants form mounds 6-12 inches tall and spread 1-2 feet wide.
Creeping Wire Vine
With tiny round leaves on wiry trailing stems, creeping wire vine (Muhlenbeckia axillaris) forms a dense, moss-like mat no more than 3 inches tall. This tough little succulent tolerates heat, coastal conditions, and poor soil. Tiny white flowers occasionally appear.
Prostrate Growing Aloes and Agaves
Certain aloe and agave species naturally grow in a low, spreading form rather than an upright rosette shape. These include:
– Aloe striatula – compact carpet 6” tall; coral flowers
– Aloe `Brevifolia’ – short leaves form flat mats
– Agave applanata ‘Cream Spike’ – pale, plump leaves on creeping plants
Creeping Wire Vine
With tiny round leaves on wiry trailing stems, creeping wire vine (Muhlenbeckia axillaris) forms a dense, moss-like mat no more than 3 inches tall. This tough little succulent tolerates heat, coastal conditions, and poor soil. Tiny white flowers occasionally appear.
How to use succulent ground covers
Replace Lawn Area
Convert water-hungry and labor-intensive lawn space into low maintenance succulent ground cover beds. Areas with full sun, low foot traffic, and well-draining soil are best suited for substituting lawn with succulents. For moderate foot traffic, try durable sedums or ice plants.
Soften Hardscaping
Let succulent ground covers spill over walkways, borders, walls, and other hardscaped areas to soften lines and add color. Trailing sedums and ice plants work well for softening vertical edges. Prickly pear cacti are great for covering horizontal surfaces.
Control Erosion
The dense mat of succulent ground covers is ideal for stabilizing slopes and preventing soil erosion. Ice plants and low-growing aloes form tenacious mats that secure the soil. Just make sure to choose low-growing species that won’t obstruct views.
Edge Planting Beds
Define the edges of garden beds and tree rings by planting drought-tolerant succulent ground covers in place of turfgrass or mulch. The colorful carpets will save maintenance compared to lawns. Ice plants, sedums, and wire vine make attractive edging.
Fill In Rock Gardens
Tuck hardy succulent ground covers into rock gardens and wall crevices to add interest. Low-growing ice plants, sedums, and cacti can handle the drainage and restricted spaces between rocks and stones. Avoid trailing succulents that will drag down.
Plant in Containers
Trail draping sedums, ice plants, and small aloes or agaves over the edges of decorative pots and planter boxes. The cascading forms soften container edges while requiring little care compared to ordinary container plants.
How to plant succulent ground covers
Select the Right Location
Choose a site with full sun, well-draining soil, and minimal competition from large tree roots. Avoid overly rich, fertile soil and ensure the area drains well without puddling. Amend dense, clay soil with grit or gravel to improve drainage before planting.
Prepare the Planting Area
Eliminate existing weeds and turfgrass by applying an herbicide, solarizing the area under plastic sheeting in summer, or thoroughly digging out unwanted plants. Work organic compost into very poor or sandy soil. Rake and grade the planting bed smooth.
Obtain Succulent Ground Cover Plants
Purchase young plants, cuttings or plugs from a reputable nursery, specializing in waterwise plants whenever possible. For large areas, you may be able to find pre-grown mats or sheets of succulents. Take care not to damage the shallow root systems when transporting plants.
Space Plants Properly
Consult plant labels and descriptions to determine the mature spread size. Space plants roughly 3/4 this distance apart to account for growth and allow for coverage as the plants fill in over one to three years. For example, allow 9-12 inches between plants with a 1-2 foot spread.
Plant Succulents
Carefully dig holes the same depth as the rootball and twice as wide. Gently loosen pot-bound roots before placing the plant in the hole. Backfill with native soil, pressing gently around the roots. Water thoroughly after planting. Apply a thin layer of gravel mulch to help retain moisture and discourage weeds.
Provide Follow Up Care
Water new plantings daily for 2 weeks and then taper off to twice weekly until established. Weed carefully by hand. Shear off spent flower stalks. Most succulent ground covers require little to no fertilizer once established. Trim wayward stems back at least once per year to maintain the dense carpet.
Challenges and solutions for succulent ground covers
Establishment Takes Time
It will likely take 1-3 years for young succulent plantings to fully fill in and form a dense mat. Be patient. Use quicker spreading species like ice plant for quicker results. Plant at a higher density, then thin out plants once the area fills.
Weed Control
Use landscape fabric or a thin gravel mulch layer to smother emerging weeds. Carefully hand pull weeds, taking care not to damage shallow succulent roots. Avoid pre-emergent herbicides that may inhibit establishment. Spot treat persistent weeds with an herbicide formulated for gravel areas.
Excess Irrigation
Take care not to overwater succulent ground covers once established, as they require very little supplemental water. Excess moisture can lead to rot, weeds, and failure to thrive. Use drip irrigation and water early in the day.
Harsh Winters
In very cold climates, non-hardy succulents like ice plant may die back each winter. Use cold-tolerant sedums and native cacti instead. Apply loose mulch over plants to insulate roots if possible. Avoid shoveling piled snow and walking on succulents in winter.
Slow Growth
Some succulent ground covers spread slowly, taking many years to fill an area. Use faster-growing kinds like ice plant if quicker coverage is desired. Or plant at a higher initial density. Fertilize lightly in spring to encourage growth. Keep plants trimmed to promote lateral growth.
Conclusion
Succulent ground covers offer a low maintenance, drought-resistant alternative to traditional lawns and bedding plants. Sedums, ice plants, prostrate aloes, and carpeting cacti provide vivid color and textures year-round while saving water and effort compared to turfgrass. Once established, most succulent ground covers require little irrigation or care to form an attractive living carpet. They are ideal options for rock gardens, borders, erosion control, hardscape softening, and replacing high-maintenance lawns. With proper planting and reasonable maintenance, succulent ground covers will thrive and spread to provide long-lasting landscape impact.
