Ground Cover Plants for the Midwest for Full Sun

Pussytoes

• The white flowers of pussytoes (Antennaria plantaginifolia) resemble a cat's foot, giving this Midwestern species its name. Pussytoes works as a ground cover in areas where the sun shines constantly and the soil is gritty or even rocky. Pussytoes is drought tolerant, grows to 1 1/2 feet and flowers from April into early summer. This species is native to the eastern portion of the Midwest. The grayish leaves and flower stalks have a covering of hairs. Pussytoes will spread out and create colonies, multiplying by underground shoots known as stolons.

Blue-Eyed Grass

• The large range of blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium) includes the Midwest, where this plant grows to 2 feet high. Blue-eyed grass is part of the same family that includes the irises and it is not a member of the grasses. The foliage certainly reminds you of grass leaves, but the attractive blue flowers that bloom in May and June are quite unlike those of grass species. Blue-eyed grass self-seeds, allowing a few plants to take over a small area and cover the ground. Plant blue-eyed grass in full sun, but try to pick a spot for it that is damp but well draining.

Rose Verbena

• The stems of rose verbena (Verbena canadensis) will take root often wherever they come in contact with the ground. This allows this 1 1/2-foot-tall perennial to spread and become ground cover. Rose verbena likes dry soil and full sun locations; moist ground will discourage its growth. Rose verbena is best suited for the southern half of the Midwest, since it originated in the southeastern states. The plant's long flowering period -- from April through October -- makes it a desirable ground cover. The flowers will invite both butterflies and hummingbirds close to drink from their nectar.

Trumpet Honeysuckle

• A deciduous vine in the eastern parts of the Midwest, trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) may reach lengths of 20 feet. Capable of performing as ground cover, this plant has red-orange tubular flowers that attract hummingbirds. Trumpet honeysuckle will grow in the sun. Its foliage is green and the flowers, which have yellow insides, will be out by spring, with the species blooming off and on during the growing season. Trumpet honeysuckle is cold hardy to zone 4, with some of the warmer regions of zone 3 also apt for this vine.