Summer Blooming Groundcovers
Dianthus h. 'Mountain Frost Ruby Glitter'
Deciduous groundcover with narrow blue green foliage and vivid hot pink blooms fading to white edges. Grows 8 to 12 inches tall. Ideal for borders, containers, and cottage garden displays. Zones: 5 to 9.
Summer blooming groundcovers provide reliable color during the height of the growing season, creating broad drifts of foliage and flowers that help unify garden spaces. Many help suppress weeds, reduce bare soil, soften hard edges, and fill open spaces between shrubs, pathways, and garden beds while providing lasting seasonal coverage. These plants weave through borders and spread naturally through the landscape while creating a space that feels lush, relaxed, and full throughout the changing season, carrying the garden through the warmth and energy of summer.
BELLFLOWER (Campanula)
01
Bellflowers create low mats of foliage that soften garden edges and fill spaces with texture long before their spring flowers begin to emerge. Campanula x ‘Birch Hybrid’ (shown here) is grown for its trailing green foliage that forms spreading mounds before producing upward-facing lavender-purple flowers above the leaves. Its layered habit and long-lasting foliage help maintain seasonal interest while adding texture and coverage to mixed plantings.
A versatile addition to rock gardens, borders, or groundcover plantings, these perennials provide color and texture as spring progresses. Campanula carpatica ‘White Clips’ offers crisp white cup-shaped flowers, while Campanula portenschlagiana adds dense evergreen foliage with violet-purple blooms that spill naturally over edges and walls throughout the season. Together, these selections provide attractive foliage, subtle spring bloom, and a refined presence in the garden.
SEA THRIFT (Armeria)
02
Sea thrift forms tidy evergreen mounds of grassy foliage that create structure and texture year-round, with spring flowers adding a seasonal accent above the leaves. Armeria maritima ‘Splendens’ (shown here) is grown for its dense tufts of narrow green foliage that create a neat, compact appearance before producing bright rosy-pink flower clusters on slender stems. Its mounding habit and evergreen presence help maintain seasonal interest while adding texture and coverage to mixed plantings.
A useful addition to rock gardens, borders, or groundcover plantings, these perennials provide color and texture as spring progresses. Armeria pseudarmeria Dreameria ‘Daydream’ offers soft pink flowers above compact foliage, while Armeria pseudarmeria Dreameria ‘Sweet Dreams’ adds lavender-pink blooms with a fuller appearance throughout the season. Together, these selections provide evergreen structure, subtle spring bloom, and a refined presence in the garden.
OREGANO (Origanum)
03
Ornamental oreganos create cascading mounds of aromatic foliage that provide texture and structure long before their colorful bracts and flowers begin drawing attention. Origanum x hybrida ‘Kirigami’ (shown here) is grown for its tidy gray-green foliage and cascading clusters of soft green and blush-pink bracts accented by small lavender-purple that soften borders and spill naturally over edges. Its spreading form and long-lasting foliage help maintain seasonal interest to mixed plantings.
A distinctive addition to rock gardens, borders, or groundcover plantings, these perennials provide color and texture as spring progresses. Origanum ‘Bristol Cross’ offers silvery foliage with pendant pink bracts and flowers, while Origanum laevigatum ‘Herrenhausen’ adds deeper green foliage paired with rosy-purple blooms for stronger contrast throughout the season. Together, these selections provide attractive foliage, subtle spring bloom, and a refined presence in the garden.
DIANTHUS
04
Dianthus forms neat evergreen cushions of narrow blue-green foliage that provide texture and structure long before spring flowers begin appearing. Dianthus ‘Olivia Bella’ (shown here) is grown for its compact mounds of foliage and rosy-pink flowers with crisp white margins that rise just above the leaves, creating a tidy display along borders and garden edges. Its dense habit and year-round foliage help maintain seasonal interest while adding texture and coverage to mixed plantings.
A useful addition to rock gardens, borders, or groundcover plantings, these perennials provide color and texture as spring progresses. Dianthus hybrida ‘Mountain Frost Ruby Glitter’ offers ruby-magenta flowers with bright white edges, while Dianthus hybrida ‘WP13 GIL05’ adds double white blooms marked with raspberry-red centers for stronger contrast throughout the season. Together, these selections provide evergreen structure, and a refined presence in the garden.
THYME (Thymus)
05
Creeping thyme forms fragrant mats of foliage that spread steadily through the garden, creating texture and seasonal color while softening paths and borders. Thymus serpyllum ‘Coccineus’ (shown here) is grown for its dense green foliage and carpeting habit that creates a tidy display before becoming covered with deep rosy-red flowers in summer. Its spreading growth and aromatic leaves help maintain seasonal interest while adding texture and coverage to mixed plantings.
A versatile addition to rock gardens, pathways, or groundcover plantings, these perennials provide color and texture as summer progresses. Thymus serpyllum ‘Alba’ offers crisp white flowers, while Thymus pulegioides ‘Foxley’ adds green foliage edged with creamy yellow and pink tones for stronger contrast throughout the season. Together, these selections provide colorful foliage, summer bloom, and a refined presence in the garden.
TRADESCANTIA
06
Tradescantias create spreading mats of colorful foliage that bring texture and contrast to the garden while producing small flowers through the warmer months. Tradescantia fluminensis ‘Maiden’s Blush’ (shown here) is grown for its soft green leaves brushed with cream and pink tones that create a bright display across trailing stems. Its spreading habit and colorful foliage help maintain seasonal interest while adding texture and coverage to mixed plantings.
A distinctive addition to containers, borders, or groundcover plantings, these perennials provide color and texture as summer progresses. Tradescantia zebrina offers trailing foliage striped with silver and deep purple tones paired with small pink-purple flowers for stronger contrast throughout the season. Together, these selections provide colorful foliage, subtle summer bloom, and a refined presence in the garden.
STONECROP (Sedum)
08
Sedums create low carpets of succulent foliage that bring texture and color to the garden while providing year-round structure beyond their spring flowers. Sedum hybrid ‘Lime Zinger’ (shown here) is grown for its bright chartreuse leaves edged in cherry-red that create a bold display across borders and rocky spaces. Its spreading habit and colorful foliage help maintain seasonal interest while adding texture to mixed plantings.
A versatile addition to rock gardens, slopes, or groundcover plantings, these perennials provide color and texture as spring progresses. Sedum kamtschaticum offers glossy green foliage with clusters of yellow flowers, while Sedum spathulifolium ‘Cape Blanco’ adds silvery blue-gray rosettes for stronger contrast throughout the season. Together, these selections provide colorful foliage, spring bloom, and a refined presence in the garden.
Related: Explore All Sedums ➔
ROCK ROSE (Helianthemum)
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Helianthemums form low spreading mats of small evergreen foliage that create texture and structure across borders and rocky spaces long before spring flowers appear. Helianthemum ‘Henfield Brilliant’ (shown here) is grown for its compact gray-green leaves that form tidy mounds before producing bright orange flowers above the foliage. Its spreading habit and long-lasting foliage help maintain seasonal interest while adding texture and coverage to mixed plantings.
A practical addition to rock gardens, slopes, or groundcover plantings, these perennials provide color and texture as spring progresses. Helianthemum nummularium ‘Wisley Pink’ offers soft pink blooms, while Helianthemum ‘Ben Fhada’ adds bright yellow flowers above silvery-green foliage for stronger contrast throughout the season. Together, these selections provide evergreen structure, subtle spring bloom, and a refined presence in the garden.
ICE PLANT (Delosperma)
07
Ice plants create dense, low-growing mats of succulent foliage that provide texture and evergreen structure long before seasonal flowers begin to appear. Delosperma cooperi (shown here) is grown for its fleshy green leaves that form spreading carpets across slopes and borders before producing vivid magenta-purple, daisy-like flowers above the foliage. Its drought-tolerant habit and long-lasting foliage help maintain seasonal interest while adding texture and coverage to mixed plantings.
A practical addition to rock gardens, borders, or groundcover plantings, these perennials provide color and texture as spring progresses. Delosperma x ‘Red Mountain Flame’ offers compact succulent foliage paired with fiery red-orange blooms that create stronger contrast throughout the season. Together, these selections provide evergreen structure, subtle spring bloom, and a refined presence in the garden.
LYSIMACHIA
10
Creeping Jenny forms trailing carpets of colorful foliage that weave through borders and spill over edges, providing texture and season-long interest beyond its yellow spring flowers. Lysimachia congestiflora ‘Persian Carpet’ (shown here) is grown for its low-spreading green foliage brushed with bronze and burgundy tones that create a rich layered appearance across the garden. Its trailing habit and colorful leaves help maintain seasonal interest while adding texture and coverage to mixed plantings.
A versatile addition to containers, borders, or groundcover plantings, these perennials provide color and texture as spring progresses. Lysimachia congestiflora ‘Persian Chocolate’ offers deeper chocolate-bronze foliage, while Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks’ adds bright golden-chartreuse leaves for stronger contrast throughout the season. Together, these selections provide colorful foliage, subtle spring bloom, and a refined presence in the garden.