Gardening Ideas Control Weeds 12 Plants That Will Keep Weeds Out Of Your Garden By Kim Toscano Kim Toscano Kim Toscano has provided gardening expertise for over 20 years through her writing, videos, and garden designs. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on May 18, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Getty Images When it comes to weed management in the garden, focusing on prevention will save you from hours spent pulling weeds. Mulch is the most common tool used to keep weeds out of your garden. By preventing light from reaching seeds, mulch reduces weed seed germination. Plants can be used in the same way to cover soil and reduce the amount of sunlight reaching weed seeds. When selecting plants for weed prevention, look for those with a dense canopy to shade the soil.We’ve rounded up a list of 12 great plants that will keep weeds out of your garden. 01 of 12 Moss Phlox Getty Images Botanical Name: Phlox subulataSun Exposure: Full SunSoil Type: Well-draining, Poor to AverageSoil pH: Moderately Acid to Slightly Alkaline (6.0-8.0) This mat-forming perennial grows just 4 to 6 inches tall, but spreads up to two feet, covering the soil with a dense moss-like carpet of evergreen foliage. In spring, white, pink, or violet flowers cover plants and draw butterflies with their spectacular show. Moss phlox is great for erosion control on slopes or planting as a groundcover beneath roses and other shrubs. 02 of 12 Hardy Plumbago Getty Images Botanical Name: Ceratostigma plumbaginoidesSun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial ShadeSoil Type: Well-draining, MoistSoil pH: Slightly Acidic to Mildly Alkaline (6.1-7.8) An aggressive groundcover for sun to part shade, hardy plumbago adapts to a variety of growing conditions, making a wonderful groundcover for repeating across a landscape. True-blue flowers and beautiful burgundy-red fall foliage provide interest from late summer through fall. Watch for butterflies and hummingbirds sipping nectar from the flowers. 03 of 12 Lamb’s Ear Getty Images Botanical Name: Stachys byzantinaSun Exposure: Full SunSoil Type: Well-draining, AverageSoil pH: Slightly Acidic to Mildly Alkaline (6.1-7.8) Weeds don’t stand a chance beneath the dense rosettes of velvety, silver-gray foliage characteristic of lamb’s ear. Plants spread by rhizome to produce a soft dense mat. This is a great plant for challenging places, as plants tolerate black walnuts, rocky soils, and drought, and resist deer and rabbit browsing. The cultivar 'Helene Von Stein' has some of the best foliage. 04 of 12 Lenten Rose Getty Images Botanical Name: Helleborus orientalisSun Exposure: Part to Full ShadeSoil Type: Well-draining, RichSoil pH: Neutral to Mildly Alkaline (7.0-8.0) Beloved for their late winter flowers, hellebores or Lenten roses produce thick, evergreen foliage in dense mounds reaching up to 18 inches in diameter. Plant in masses beneath trees and large shrubs for an evergreen groundcover. Plants will slowly naturalize in woodland gardens through self-seeding. 05 of 12 Green and Gold Getty Images Botanical Name: Chrysogonum virginianumSun Exposure: Full to Partial ShadeSoil Type: Well-draining, RichSoil pH: Acidic (5.0-6.8) A colorful flowering groundcover for shady gardens, green and gold blooms all summer long, producing sunny yellow blossoms atop beds of rich green foliage. This southeastern native looks lovely as an edging along woodland paths. Plants spread by rhizomes and self-seeding to form an attractive groundcover. 06 of 12 Bugleweed Getty Images Botanical Name: Ajuga reptansSun Exposure: Full Sun to Full ShadeSoil Type: Well-draining, AverageSoil pH: Acidic (<6.0) Bugleweed spreads quickly by stolon to form a compact mat of lush foliage in green, purple, or ruby hues. The evergreen to semi-evergreen foliage is topped by vibrant purple flower spikes in mid to late spring. Bugleweed tolerates all light levels, making a useful groundcover for repeating through the landscape. 07 of 12 Hosta Getty Images Botanical Name: Hosta species and hybridsSun Exposure: Partial to Full ShadeSoil Type: Well-draining, RichSoil pH: Neutral (6.5–7.5) With their broad leaves and dense clumping habit, hostas provide plenty of competition against weeds. The broad foliage grows as a rosette, varying in size from 6 inches to 3 feet in diameter, depending on cultivar. Lavender blooms stand above the foliage in summer, inviting hummingbirds to dine. 08 of 12 Catmint Getty Images Botanical Name: Nepeta racemosa 'Walker's Low'Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Part ShadeSoil Type: Well-draining, AverageSoil pH: Slightly Acidic to Mildly Alkaline (6.0-8.0) 'Walker's Low' catmint is not a groundcover but a mounding perennial growing 2 to 3 feet tall and wide. Though it dies back in winter, the plant quickly regrows in spring to cover exposed soil before weeds can get established. With gray-green foliage and aromatic blooms that cover plants on and off from early summer to fall, catmint makes a perfect filler for any style garden. 09 of 12 Fragrant Sumac Rob Routledge, Sault College, Bugwood.org Botanical Name: Rhus aromatica 'Gro-Low'Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Part ShadeSoil Type: Well-draining, AverageSoil pH: Acidic to Alkaline (5.0 to 8.0) When you need to cover a lot of ground this native shrub fits the bill. Growing two feet tall and spreading up to 8 feet wide, 'Gro-Low' sumac is excellent for stabilizing slopes or naturalizing in native gardens. Plants tolerate a range of soil conditions, including poor soil, and thrive where other plants fail. 10 of 12 Creeping Juniper Getty Images Botanical Name: Juniperus horizontalisSun Exposure: FullSoil Type: Well-draining, AverageSoil pH: Acidic to Neutral (5.0-7.0) Though creeping juniper doesn’t spread like many groundcovers, its long, trailing branches hug the ground giving the plant its common name. Many tried and true cultivars like 'Blue Chip' and 'Blue Rug' feature scaly blue-green foliage, while several new varieties have bright yellow to gold foliage that shifts color with the seasons. This sprawling evergreen works well in hot, dry areas. 11 of 12 Allegheny Spurge USDA Forest Service - Region 8 - Southern , USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Botanical Name: Pachysandra procumbensSun Exposure: Full to Partial ShadeSoil Type: Well-draining, RichSoil pH: Acidic (5.5-6.5) Not as aggressive as its Japanese counterpart, Allegheny spurge is a native, herbaceous perennial groundcover that slowly spreads by rhizomes to form a dense colony. Plants bloom in early spring, sending up fragrant white blooms before the new foliage emerges with its silver-green mottling. Allegheny spurge thrives in dappled shade under large trees and tolerates heavy shade. 12 of 12 Cheddar Pinks Getty Images Botanical Name: Dianthus gratianapolitanus 'Firewitch'Sun Exposure: Full Soil Type: Well-draining, RichSoil pH: Neutral to Slightly Alkaline (7.0-8.0) 'Firewitch' cheddar pink is a gorgeous evergreen perennial with silver-blue foliage spreading to form a dense mat. Stunning, clove-scented blooms cover plants in a flush of magenta pink for several weeks in spring. Flowers make excellent cut flowers and attract butterflies to the garden. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit