What succulent is good for ground cover?

When looking for a succulent to use as ground cover in your garden or landscape, there are a few key factors to consider. The ideal ground cover succulent should be low-growing and spreading in habit, drought tolerant, and able to withstand some foot traffic. Some of the best choices include:

Sedum

Sedums are one of the most popular choices for succulent ground cover. There are many low-growing sedum varieties that form dense mats, filling in areas of soil to suppress weeds. Some recommended sedum ground cover options include:

• Sedum spurium – A fast spreading stonecrop that comes in green or red bronze colors.
• Sedum acre – Also called gold moss sedum, this forms a low carpet of green foliage.
• Sedum reflexum – Blue green folded leaves that spread out from the base.
• Sedum rupestre – A trailing sedum with yellow star-shaped flowers.
• Sedum kamtschaticum – Orange-yellow flowers on spreading foliage.

Sedums thrive in poor, dry soil and full sun. Just be aware that some varieties can spread aggressively, so they may need to be contained.

Ice Plant

Ice plants are succulent ground covers that produce cheerful daisy-like flowers. There are both trailing and carpet-forming ice plant varieties to choose from, including:

• Delosperma cooperi – Bright purple flowers with bronze foliage.
• Lampranthus aurantiacus – Brilliant orange blooms.
• Delosperma nubigenum – Hardy ice plant with yellow flowers.
• Drosanthemum floribundum – Rose-purple flowers.

Ice plants do best in full sun and need very little water once established. They are quite cold hardy. The flowers will only appear during the spring and summer months.

Creeping Thyme

Thymus praecox is a low-growing, spreading thyme that makes an excellent drought tolerant ground cover option. It forms a short carpet of green leaves, bearing pink or white flowers in summer. It thrives in full sun and will overflow retaining walls and containers. Creeping thyme can also take light foot traffic. It brings nice texture and fragrance to pathways.

Woolly Thyme

Thymus pseudolanuginosus is a woolly thyme variety that grows only 1-2 inches tall. It has soft, fuzzy gray-green foliage and purple flower spikes. Woolly thyme is slower growing than creeping thyme, but it is extremely drought tolerant once established. It does best in full sun and poor, sandy or rocky soil.

Cape Blanco Stonecrop

Sedum spathulifolium ‘Cape Blanco’ is a carpeting sedum that forms a mat of powdery, silvery blue leaves. It stays under 2 inches tall and spreads steadily but slowly. The leaves will develop a pink tinge in cold weather. Drought and heat tolerant, this is a nice choice for rock gardens, edging, and accenting pathways.

Donkey Tail

Sedum morganianum, also called donkey tail or burro’s tail, can make an attractive trailing succulent ground cover. The elongated blue-green leaves form tail-like strands. Donkey tail sedum cascades nicely over walls, edges, and containers. It needs full sun and well-drained soil. Avoid overwatering.

Things to Consider When Choosing a Succulent Ground Cover

Here are some key factors to keep in mind when selecting a succulent for ground cover use:

• Growth habit – Choose low, spreading varieties instead of upright succulents.
• Mature size – Consider the eventual spread of the succulent, be sure it will fit the space.
• Invasiveness – Some aggressive spreaders like Aeonium can take over. Opt for slower growing kinds.
• Climate – Pick succulents suited to your hardiness zone and climate conditions.
• Sun exposure – Full sun is ideal for most succulent ground covers.
• Soil drainage – Exceptional drainage is a must to prevent rotting.
• Foot traffic – Crushed rock pathways help protect succulents.
• Spread control – Use borders and dividers to contain spread if needed.

How to Plant and Care for Succulent Ground Covers

Proper planting and care will keep your succulent ground cover healthy and help it spread. Follow these tips:

• Prepare the planting area with very fast drainage. Add gravel, coarse sand, etc to improve drainage.
• Space new plants 12-18 inches apart to allow room to fill in over time.
• Take cuttings or separate rooted offsets from established plants for easy propagation.
• Plant in spring or fall, avoiding temperature extremes.
• Water whenever the soil dries out. Avoid overwatering.
• Fertilize very sparingly, 1-2 times per year.
• Remove weeds as needed until the succulents fill in.
• Trim back leggy or damaged growth as needed.

Best Uses for Succulent Ground Cover

Succulent ground covers provide unique visual interest and texture contrast in both gardens and landscaping. Some top uses include:

• Filling in spaces between stepping stones
• Softening edges along walkways and borders
• Spilling over container rims and wall planters
• Planted between wider spaces of other ground covers
• Adding color and texture to rock gardens
• Cascading over rock walls as living mulch
• Packed between pavers or in paver joints

Combining Succulents with Other Ground Covers

For a more complex, lush ground cover, succulents can be combined with other spreading plants. Some options include:

• Interplanting succulents with a micro clover lawn
• Letting succulents fill the gaps in a creeping phlox planting
• Underplanting spreading sedums with Ajuga bugleweed
• Alternating succulents with the tiny leaves of Sagina subulata Irish moss
• Dotting succulents throughout a Veronica ground cover

The lower height and different textures of succulentAccenting walkways or patios with succulents planted through a ground cover like Dichondra repens.

Best Succulent Ground Cover Choices by Climate

Here are some top picks suited for different climate conditions:

Climate	Recommended Succulents
Hot and arid	Sedum reflexum Delosperma cooperi Sedum spurium Portulaca grandiflora
Cool and coastal	Sedum spathulifolium Thymus praecox Delosperma congestum Sedum kamtschaticum
Humid subtropical	Sedum spurium Sedum mexicanum Othonna capensis Sedum clavatum
Cold and dry	Sedum acre Sedum reflexum Delosperma nubigenum Thymus pseudolanuginosus

Conclusion

With their low-growing, spreading habit, drought tolerance, and diversity of color and form, succulents are perfect candidates for use as living ground covers. Sedums, ice plants, creeping thyme, and wooly thyme are especially suitable types that form mats or carpets with minimal maintenance required. Consider the growing conditions, eventual spread, and characteristics like hardiness and traffic tolerance when selecting the best succulents for your unique location. With proper planting, well-drained soil, and occasional watering, succulent ground covers provide a gorgeous low-care alternative to traditional turf or mulch.