Mowable Ground Cover Plants

Full Sun

• Plant sun-loving ground covers in sites that receive direct light from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day during the growing season. Homeowners can grow the perennial Achillea millefolium, or common yarrow, as a ground cover, which requires mowing two to eight times per year. Yarrow prefers full sun exposures and well-drained, even dry soil. This hardy plant has gray-green foliage and blooms with long-lasting yellow flowers. Grow yarrow in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 8.

  Mow mondo grass (Ophiopogon japonicus) in early spring. This evergreen has narrow, grass-like foliage that grows from 4 to 12 inches tall. Mondo grass tolerates sunny or shady sites but requires well-drained soil and is hardy in zones 6 to 9.

Light Shade

• Sites that receive an equal mix of sun and shade or four to five hours of direct sun are lightly shaded. Pink or Cooper's ice plant, scientific name Delosperma cooperi, tolerates mowing in summer, shortly after flowering starts. This evergreen is hardy in zones 6 to 10 and grows to 7 inches tall with a 2-foot spread. Pink ice plant has glossy, dark green foliage and blooms with bright pink, daisy-shaped flowers from summer through fall. Plant in sun to light shade and well-drained soil.

  Wedelia trilobata grows up to a foot tall and grows quickly up to 2 feet wide. This perennial evergreen is hardy in zones 8b to 11 and thrives in a variety of soils, from flooded to sandy. Wedelia blooms year-round with tiny, yellow flowers and tolerates foot traffic and mowing on a high setting.

Partial Shade

• Sites that receive less than three hours of sun per day are partially shaded. Confederate jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) tolerates annual mowing to keep growth low. This evergreen grows up to 2 feet tall and blooms with aromatic white flowers in spring. Plant confederate jasmine in partial shade and moist, well-drained soil.

  Carpet bugle or ajuga (Ajuga reptans) can be mowed after flowering is complete. This evergreen has green, purple or variegated foliage and blooms in spring with blue blossoms. It grows to 6 inches tall and prefers partial shade. Plant ajuga in sandy, well-drained soil in zones 3 to 9.

Full Shade

• Not many ground covers thrive in fully shaded sites, but some prefer them. Goutweed (Aegopodium podagraria) grows from 6 to 14 inches tall and can be mowed two to three times per year. Goutweed blooms with white flowers in late spring and has deciduous, three-lobed foliage. This spreading plant grows best in partial to full shade and tolerates a range of soils, from sand to clay.

  Periwinkle (Vinca minor) and big leaf periwinkle (Vinca major) tolerate mowing, as long as it's done soon after summer flowering. These evergreen ground covers thrive in partial to full shade and well-drained soil. They bloom with blue to lavender flowers in spring. Periwinkle grows from 4 to 6 inches tall and is hardy in zones 4 to 8, while big leaf periwinkle grows to 18 inches tall and is hardy in zones 6 to 9.