A ground cover plant that can replace a traditional lawn grass often has to satisfy a wide range of criteria. Primarily, the plant must be walkable: It has to be very resilient, able to recover quickly from being trodden upon and also have a flat, low-growing habit — ideally without large clumps or twiggy branches. For lawn replacements or anything planted in large swaths, in a dry climate, we’re also looking for a ground cover that thrives in low-water conditions. Plus, we’d like it to be generally low-maintenance and look good year-round.
While it’s tough to find many plants that fit every criterion on our list, the following six score high marks in almost all of those categories. They’re low-water, walkable ground covers that are friendly to feet and the environment.
McClellan Architects
Gardeners in mild climates can plant ground covers now so they can establish over winter and be ready to spring into growth in the new year. In cold-winter climates, gardeners should plan now and wait until spring to plant.
1. Creeping Thyme
(Thymus pseudolanuginosus and T. serpyllum)
Native to Europe and North Africa
Useful as a lawn replacement and planted between pavers, creeping thyme is a very versatile, walkable ground cover that grows to about 4 inches tall. “Elfin” thyme is one of the lowest-growing varieties (staying below 2 inches) but doesn’t spread to form a mat as quickly as woolly thyme (T. pseudolanuginosus). When crushed, thyme leaves give off a pleasant herbal scent.
Walkability: All thyme varieties tolerate moderate food traffic, but those with a silvery, fuzzy appearance like woolly thyme (T. pseudolanuginosus) are the toughest and often stay fairly flat, rather than forming mounds.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 31.7 degrees Celsius (USDA zones 4 to 8; find your zone)
Water requirement: Low to moderate
Light requirement: Full sun
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Randy Thueme Design Inc. - Landscape Architecture
2. Sanddune Sedge
(Carex pansa)
Native to California and western North America
Carex are the most widely used for lawn replacement, largely because they look like traditional turf but take far less water and maintenance (mowing is optional). This sedge grows in clumps about 6 to 8 inches tall if left unmown. It can be kept shorter if mowed four to eight times a year, depending on desired look.
Because of its mounding growth habit, sanddune sedge shouldn’t be planted between pavers where it’s difficult to mow, and clumps can swallow stepping stones before long. Of all the walkable ground covers, it’s one of the toughest in terms of foot traffic and, when mowed low, can be used in parking strips.
Walkability: Very tolerant of heavy foot traffic once established, but its clumping growth habit doesn’t make it a smooth surface for a stroll or kicking around a soccer ball. For the look and height of a traditional lawn, mow once a month in the warm season, less in winter. Sanddune sedge planted in light shade is less trample-proof than when planted in full sun.
Where it will grow: Hardy to 15 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 9.4 degrees Celsius (zones 8 to 11)
Water requirement: Moderate; low once established; drought-tolerant
Light requirement: Full sun to light shade
Learn more about growing carex
Sarah Herman Landscape Design
3. Silver Carpet
(Dymondia margaretae)
Native to South Africa
Another top choice for low-water lawn replacements, silver carpet is one of the lowest growing — from 2 to 4 inches tall — walkable ground covers out there that can be used as a lawn replacement. “It holds up to foot traffic very well and is, in fact, soft and squishy to walk on — in a good way,” says landscape designer Beth Mullins of Growsgreen Design. The silver-leafed plant thrives in quick-draining soils and is drought-tolerant once established.
While silver carpet is one of Mullins’ go-to ground covers for sunny spots with well-draining soil, she cautions against planting in darker, wetter areas. “In shade, there will be a distinct ring where it will not grow,” she says.
Walkability: Tolerates moderate foot traffic once established and fills in to form a dense, flat carpet that visually reads as a silver lawn.
Where it will grow: Hardy to 25 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 3.9 degrees Celsius (zones 9 to 11)
Water requirement: Moderate, low once established; drought-tolerant
Light requirement: Full sun
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Randy Thueme Design Inc. - Landscape Architecture
4. ‘Emerald Carpet’ Manzanita
(Arctostaphylos ‘Emerald Carpet’)
Garden hybrid from two North American natives
‘Emerald Carpet’ manzanita is a particularly low-growing manzanita hybrid (cross between A. uva-ursi and A. nummularia) that’s highly effective as a low-water lawn replacement. Growing 4 to 6 inches tall and 2 to 3 feet wide, ‘Emerald Carpet’ manzanita fills in to form an attractive evergreen carpet with medium-green leaves and red stems. In spring, the plant forms small white flowers.
Walkability: Scores high for resilience and the ability to withstand repeated traffic, but its twiggy branches create an uneven surface for walking. It’s very effective planted in areas where you may need access but do not require a perfectly smooth surface or where you want a swath of medium green.
Where it will grow: Hardy to 5 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 15 degrees Celsius (zones 7 to 10)
Water requirement: Low; drought-tolerant
Light requirement: Full sun
Coates Design Architects Seattle
5. Stonecrop
(Sedum spp.)
Species of stonecrop can be an excellent choice for a ground cover where other plants fail to grow or in areas that receive little water. Plants stay low to the ground (from 1 to 6 inches tall, depending on variety) and take very little maintenance to look good year round. Goldmoss stonecrop (Sedum acre) is a top choice for lawn replacements as it’s fairly step-tolerant and fills in to form a chartreuse mat about 3 to 4 inches tall.
To grow stonecrop as a lawn replacement or to cover a large area, you can either plant from tightly spaced plugs or purchase rooted sedum in 1-by-1-foot mats from some nurseries or by ordering wholesale through a landscape professional.
Walkability: Varies by species, but most tolerate light foot traffic, some more than others. The stems easily break underfoot, but stems root where they fall, so the plant will naturally fill in gaps to create a green carpet.
Where it will grow: Hardiness varies by species, ranging from minus 35 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 37.2 degrees Celsius to 45 degrees Fahrenheit, or 7.2 degrees Celsius (zones 3 to 11)
Water requirement: Low, drought-tolerant
Light requirement: Full to partial sun
Learn more about growing stonecrop
ModernBackyard
6. Beach Strawberry
(Fragaria chiloensis)
Native to the West Coast of North America
Cousin to the strawberries we grow for fruit, beach strawberry spreads by runners to form an evergreen mat of glossy green foliage, dotted with white flowers in spring and tiny edible red berries in early summer. Plants grow 4 to 6 inches tall and quickly spread to a few feet wide; they can be kept lower with mowing in spring. Wild strawberry (Fragaria vesca) is not nearly as tolerant to foot traffic as sun-loving beach strawberry, but it is a good option in dappled shade.
Walkability: Tolerates moderate foot traffic; springs back easily when stepped on. It’s less smooth and more mounding than ground covers like silver carpet (Dymondia margaretae) but soft underfoot.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 31.7 degrees Celsius (zones 4 to 9)
Water requirement: Moderate to low; drought-tolerant
Light requirement: Full sun to light shade
Randy Thueme Design Inc. - Landscape Architecture
Tips for Establishing Walkable Ground Covers as a Green Carpet
1. Choose the right plant for your site. Ground covers best suited for your site conditions (soil type, water and light exposure) will be better able to withstand foot traffic than plants in the wrong place (not receiving enough light) that are under stress.
2. Plant according to spacing advice on plant label, or a little tighter. Spacing requirements vary by ground cover. Depending on how quickly you’d like an area to fill in and how tight a carpet you’d like to grow, you may want to place plants slightly closer together than what is stated on the plant label.
3. Keep off while plants get established. No plants are walkable when they’ve recently been planted. Keep off any areas of newly planted ground covers, allowing at least a few weeks for the plants to get established.
4. Water consistently, especially in the beginning. After planting, keep the soil consistently moist, even for plants that only require low water once mature. This can be particularly important for plugs of Carex pansa, which can turn brown if they dry out when adjusting to transplanting.
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