Lawn Substitute Plants

Chamomile

• Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) stays green year round, has soft, fernlike leaves and grows best in sun or partial shade. It tolerates light foot traffic, releasing a pleasant fragrance with each footstep. This plant grows best in areas with excellent soil drainage.

Sedums

• Sedums are a group of 400 to 600 species of succulent plants that hold water in their leaves and require little irrigation. Many varieties of sedums have a creeping growth pattern, making them possible lawn substitute plants. They like hot and sunny areas with excellent soil drainage. Although the durable plants tolerate lots of wear, they begin to look messy if people walk on them more than a few times per week. The University of New Hampshire recommends planting Sedum acre, Sedum hispanicum, Sedum spurium or Sedum requieni as a lawn substitute.

Creeping Jenny

• Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia spp.) has green or golden foliage and tolerates moderate amounts of foot traffic. It comes in several varieties, and Lysimachia nummularia, Lysimachia japonica and Mazus reptans can work well as ground covers. This plant likes moist areas with at least partial shade. Unfortunately, its extensive roots can damage trees and other plants that it grows around. Gardeners should monitor the growth of this plant carefully to make sure it does not spread to unwanted areas and damage other plants.

Thyme

• Many gardeners grow thyme in their herb gardens, but few realize that the herb makes a wonderful ground cover. Thyme can tolerate foot traffic several times per day, and it smells great when people walk on it. It has green leaves and white, purple or pink flowers. Plant thyme in sunny areas with good soil drainage. A creeping variety, like red creeping thyme, white creeping thyme or wooly thyme is appropriate as a ground cover..

English Ivy

• English ivy quickly covers a large area of empty space with greenery, and it grows well in almost any area that is not super wet. The vines of this plant can pose a tripping risk, so it works best as a grass substitute in areas that people do not walk through often. Ivy also climbs vertical supports, like trellises, poles and the sides of buildings. Although many people use ivy as a ground cover, the National Park Service warns that it can become invasive, crowding out other plants and damaging trees and structures. Gardeners should, therefore, keep ivy trimmed so that it does not spread outside the yard.