Late summer is a great time to refresh the garden in Nebraska and Kansas with hardy ground covers. I love how they quickly fill in bare spots while helping to control weeds and conserve moisture.
From tough native options to colorful spreads, there’s something for every style of garden. Planting them now means you’ll enjoy healthier, fuller coverage well into the next season.
1. Creeping Thyme
Want a fragrant carpet that handles foot traffic beautifully? Nebraska gardeners love how this aromatic herb releases its scent when stepped on. It forms a dense mat of tiny leaves and produces delicate purple flowers.
Even in Kansas’s heat, creeping thyme remains drought-tolerant once established. Perfect for rock gardens, between stepping stones, or as a lawn alternative in small areas.
2. Sedum
Hardy and practically indestructible, sedum thrives in both states’ challenging conditions. The succulent leaves store water, making it incredibly drought-resistant once established in your Kansas landscape.
Many varieties offer spectacular fall color changes. Nebraska gardeners particularly appreciate how sedum requires almost no maintenance and attracts butterflies with its late-season blooms.
3. Ajuga
Also called bugleweed, this shade-loving ground cover produces striking blue flower spikes in spring. Its glossy, colorful foliage forms a dense mat that effectively chokes out weeds in Nebraska gardens.
Kansas gardeners appreciate how ajuga tolerates poor soil conditions. Available in varieties with bronze, purple, or variegated leaves that add year-round interest to shady spots.
4. Vinca Minor
Facing a challenging slope in your Nebraska yard? Vinca minor’s extensive root system prevents erosion while its glossy evergreen leaves provide year-round color. The pretty blue-purple flowers appear in spring.
Kansas gardeners value its ability to thrive in partial shade and suppress weeds. Once established, it requires minimal care and spreads at a manageable rate without becoming invasive.
5. Sweet Woodruff
For those shady spots under trees in your Kansas landscape, sweet woodruff creates a lush carpet of whorled green leaves. The delicate star-shaped white flowers in spring add charming detail to woodland gardens.
Nebraska gardeners love its subtle vanilla-like fragrance when crushed or dried. It spreads slowly but steadily, making it perfect for filling in bare areas without becoming aggressive.
6. Creeping Phlox
Nebraska rock gardens come alive with creeping phlox’s blanket of vibrant spring flowers in pink, purple, blue, or white. The needle-like evergreen foliage provides structure even after blooming ends.
Kansas homeowners appreciate how this tough plant handles poor soil and drought. Plant it along borders, in rock gardens, or let it cascade over retaining walls for a spectacular spring display.
7. Lamium
Struggling with dry shade in your Kansas yard? Lamium’s silvery, variegated foliage brightens dark corners while requiring minimal moisture. The pink or white flowers appear in spring and often rebloom throughout summer.
Nebraska gardeners find it perfect for areas where grass won’t grow. It spreads at a moderate pace, filling in bare spots without becoming a nuisance.
8. Veronica
Looking for a pollinator magnet in your Nebraska garden? Veronica’s spikes of blue, purple, or pink flowers attract bees and butterflies throughout summer. The low-growing varieties form neat mats of foliage.
Kansas gardeners value its heat and drought tolerance once established. Plant it in full sun to light shade for best flowering, and enjoy its long bloom period with minimal maintenance.
9. Creeping Jenny
Bright chartreuse foliage makes creeping Jenny a standout in partly shaded Kansas gardens. The coin-shaped leaves form a dense mat that effectively suppresses weeds and softens garden edges.
Nebraska gardeners appreciate how it cascades beautifully over walls and container edges. While vigorous, it’s easily controlled and adds a pop of color that contrasts beautifully with darker foliage plants.
10. Carpet Bugle
Nebraska’s challenging clay soils are no match for carpet bugle’s adaptability. Its attractive, often bronze-tinged foliage spreads to form a dense mat that effectively prevents erosion on slopes.
Kansas gardeners love the stunning blue flower spikes that appear in late spring. Plant it in partial shade for best results, especially in areas where you need reliable coverage with minimal maintenance.
11. Snow-in-Summer
Kansas rock gardens transform when snow-in-summer’s silvery foliage becomes blanketed with pristine white flowers. The woolly, gray-green leaves add interesting texture even when not in bloom.
Nebraska gardeners appreciate its extreme drought tolerance and ability to thrive in poor soil. Perfect for hot, dry spots where other plants struggle, it creates a stunning display with minimal care.
12. Dragon’s Blood Sedum
The rich burgundy foliage of Dragon’s Blood sedum adds dramatic color to Nebraska rock gardens. Its succulent leaves turn increasingly vibrant as temperatures cool in fall, creating stunning seasonal interest.
Kansas gardeners value its incredible heat and drought resistance. The star-shaped pink flowers attract pollinators, while the spreading habit makes it perfect for filling spaces between larger plants.
13. Mazus
Ever seen a ground cover that creates a living carpet of tiny purple flowers? Mazus forms a dense, low mat in Kansas gardens and produces delightful blooms in spring that pollinators adore.
Nebraska gardeners appreciate its ability to handle light foot traffic. It thrives in moist areas but tolerates some drought once established, making it versatile for different garden conditions.
14. Wild Ginger
Native wild ginger offers Nebraska woodland gardens heart-shaped leaves that create a natural-looking groundcover. The unique brown flowers hide beneath the foliage, pollinated by ground-dwelling insects.
Kansas gardeners value its ability to thrive in deep shade where little else grows. Its slow but steady growth makes it perfect for naturalistic settings where you want a low-maintenance native option.
15. Creeping Juniper
Looking for an evergreen option for your Kansas landscape? Creeping juniper provides year-round interest with its blue-green needles that sometimes take on purple tints in winter.
Nebraska gardeners appreciate its extreme drought tolerance once established. Perfect for slopes, rock gardens, or areas where grass struggles, it prevents erosion while requiring almost no maintenance.
16. Hens and Chicks
Architectural and fascinating, hens and chicks create living sculptures in Nebraska rock gardens. The rosette-forming succulents multiply readily, with “mother” plants surrounded by identical “babies” in varying sizes.
Kansas gardeners love their extreme heat and drought tolerance. Available in green, red, purple, and blue-tinted varieties, they add year-round interest and require almost no care once established.
17. Liriope
Also known as lily turf, liriope brings grass-like texture to Kansas shade gardens. The arching foliage creates neat clumps that remain attractive all season, with purple flower spikes in late summer.
Nebraska gardeners appreciate its ability to thrive in dry shade. Use it as an edging plant, ground cover, or soil stabilizer on slopes – it performs beautifully with minimal attention.
18. Bearberry
Native to North America, bearberry offers Nebraska gardeners a truly low-maintenance ground cover option. The leathery evergreen leaves turn bronze in winter, adding seasonal interest to the landscape.
Kansas gardeners appreciate the charming pink bell-shaped flowers in spring followed by red berries. Its extensive root system makes it excellent for erosion control on sandy slopes.