White clover used to be the traditional yard cover here until grass caught on. I've lived in several houses with clover yards and it's great, usually doesn't need to be mowed, doesn't care if it's abused, practically no maintenance. Answer from ChildrenOfTheWoods on reddit.com
Fine Gardening
finegardening.com › home › low-maintenance alternatives to lawns
Low-Maintenance Alternatives to Lawns - Fine Gardening
November 8, 2024 - If you don’t need a tough playing surface for kids and dogs, grass can be replaced with just about anything—trees, shrubs, perennials, edibles, patios, gazebos—but I chose to simply copy the look of a lawn using plants more to my liking.
The Old Farmer's Almanac
almanac.com › grass-alternatives-lawn-replacements
Grass Alternatives: 12 Low-Maintenance Lawn Replacements | Almanac.com
April 24, 2025 - Want to cover a steep bank with a mat of glossy green foliage and bright yellow spring flowers? Barren strawberry (Waldsteinia fragarioides) is an ornamental strawberry-like plant (no berries) that grows up to 6 inches high and spreads by runner-like rhizomes, making it an ideal ground cover. It prefers shade and moist soil but will tolerate sunny locations if it doesn’t dry out. The foliage is evergreen and tends to bronze up in cold winter climates. Zones 3 to 8. ... Grass seed used to always include clover, which greens up a lawn by drawing in nitrogen.
Videos
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3 Sustainable Lawn Alternatives (for Cold Climates) - YouTube
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Wisconsin Horticulture
hort.extension.wisc.edu › articles › alternatives-to-lawn-groundcovers
Alternatives to Lawn: Groundcovers – Wisconsin Horticulture
Biokova Geranium (Geranium x cantabrigiense ‘Biokova’), a vigorous mat-forming groundcover that grows best in moist shaded areas.
GardenRant
gardenrant.com › home › rant's plants
My Best-Performing Groundcovers for Lawn Replacement, and More - GardenRant
July 28, 2024 - I’m also a ground cover tester. Zone 6a, mid-Michigan. Always looking for one that’s well behaved and does well in part shade. Let’s not forget about using evergreens as a groundcover. For the past three years I’ve been planting Siberian Cypress, Celtic Pride® (Microbiota decussata) in areas where I’ve been just mulching. So far they are doing great. Spreading along the ground and only reaching 6 – 8″ tall. Kevin N. July 27, 2024 at 2:36 pm · Instead of creeping jenny for spots that take occasional foot traffic, for sun try short thymes (eg ‘Elfin’), for part shade try leptinellas (eg ‘Platts Black’) and for shade try hernaria glabra (eg ‘Sea Foam’).
Reddit
reddit.com › r/gardening › best ground cover in place of grass?
r/gardening on Reddit: Best ground cover in place of grass?
July 22, 2024 -
I live in Georgia, zone 7b. I need to see if anyone has any suggestions on a fast growing ground cover that can be stepped on, can handle shade & sun (backyard has both) and for a bonus, if its pretty I would love that! I’ve gone to my local Pikes and done research online but I’m not finding anything that checks all the boxes. Does anyone have any recommendations?
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White clover used to be the traditional yard cover here until grass caught on. I've lived in several houses with clover yards and it's great, usually doesn't need to be mowed, doesn't care if it's abused, practically no maintenance.
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Fast growing groundcovers means a pain in the neck for your neighbors as it spreads into their yards.
Gilmour
gilmour.com › homepage › tips & techniques › lawn & yard care › eco-friendly alternatives to a grassy lawn
Grass Lawn Alternatives for an Eco-Friendly Backyard | Gilmour
July 17, 2019 - Creeping thyme is an ideal groundcover for high traffic areas. Growing only 2 to 4 inches high, this versatile herb requires no mowing, little watering and needs very limited care. Not only can it take a little neglect, it will grow anywhere – full sun, partial sun, full shade – creeping thyme is not picky. Clover is an easy-to-care-for lawn alternative that’s often planted as a green cover crop to fix nitrogen in the soil, but it can also act as an ideal eco-friendly landscaping option.
LawnLove
lawnlove.com › home › best ground covers as grass alternatives
Best Ground Covers as Grass Alternatives
November 21, 2023 - Dutch white clover (Trifolium repens) is a superpowered legume that will control weeds, prevent erosion, and decrease the need for herbicide and fertilizer. With clover, you can turn off the mower and enjoy a butterfly-filled lawn — and keep a whole lot of green in your pocket. ... Combine clover with other grasses or ground covers.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/landscaping › ground cover alternative to grass
r/landscaping on Reddit: Ground cover alternative to grass
January 22, 2023 -
I'm interested in finding a ground cover plant. My house is at the top of a steep hill next to a main road. I love in zone 4, and it would receive light for most of the day. Ideally it wouldn't need to be mown. I kind of like the idea of Irish moss.
The thing I'm worried about is my next door neighbor actually takes care of his lawn. Is there a ground cover alternative that won't colonize his lawn?
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I feel like your best bet to keep your neighbors lawn safe out of respect to him is to put a hard barrier between your lawns.
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Where are you located? It's best to pick a groundcover native to your area since it will be beneficial to pollinators in your eco-region. I recently found out that yarrow makes a great ground cover especially if you mow it, it will grow similarly to grass instead of forming clumps.
Livingetc
livingetc.com › home › advice › expert advice
17 Grass Alternatives to Traditional Lawn That Are So Much Easier to Maintain
September 19, 2024 - According to Tony, sedum is an expansive family of succulent plants known for their water-storing leaves and star-shaped flowers. "Varieties like Sedum album or Sedum Sarmentosum are ideal as ground covers," he says.
Integrated Pest Management
ipm.cahnr.uconn.edu › home › alternative “lawn” options for new england landscapes
Alternative “Lawn” Options for New England Landscapes | Integrated Pest Management
November 30, 2022 - This document can serve as a resource whether converting lawn areas to native grasses or flowering plants. The two main categories of plants used as groundcovers in an alternative lawn are grasses and broad-leaved plants.
iScape
iscapeit.com › blog › 8-beautiful-lawn-alternatives-to-grass
8 Beautiful Lawn Alternatives to Grass
... Moss brings an interesting texture to a yard or garden space. A moss bed can replace a grassy sprawl with a soft, springy ground cover that adds additional visual interest by climbing up surrounding tree bark and rocks.
Martha Stewart
marthastewart.com › 8116129 › grass-lawn-alternatives
12 Alternatives to a Traditional Grass Lawn—and Why You Should Consider Making the Switch
September 17, 2021 - Clover can survive in a range of growing zones, but it does best in areas like California and Texas, where winters are mild and the summers are dry rather than humid. Microclover Is a Lush, Low-Maintenance Alternative to Grass—Here's How to Grow It ... Add dimension and texture to your lawn by planting ground covers where your grass currently is.
Insteading
insteading.com › 10 ground cover plants to replace your grass lawn
10 Ground Cover Plants to Replace Your Grass Lawn • Insteading
First, the grass needs to be killed ... need to cut the grass as short as possible, soak the ground with water, then cover it with plastic so that the hot summer sun can cook the grass into oblivion....
Published September 5, 2023
Facebook
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What's a good, soft ground covering instead of lawn grass?
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City of Guelph
guelph.ca › home › living › house and home › lawn and garden › groundcovers and lawn alternatives
Groundcovers and lawn alternatives - City of Guelph
March 28, 2025 - Choosing the right mix of grasses and groundcover helps prevent weeds and pests. We recommend these plants for Guelph’s climate and soil conditions.
City of Calgary
calgary.ca › water › programs › lawn-alternatives-and-groundcovers.html
YardSmart Lawn alternatives and groundcovers
Lawn alternatives and hardy ... maintenance gardening approach. Examples of suitable species include microclover, yarrow, creeping thyme and fescue grasses....
Elemental
elemental.green › home › outdoors › good to know outdoors › 10 easy, low-maintenance lawn alternatives
10 Easy, Low-Maintenance Lawn Alternatives
February 15, 2025 - But this member of the mint family is actually a great option for thick, low-maintenance ground cover in partially-shady areas. And we hear it makes a great tea. No Mowing, Fertilizing, or Watering. Creeping Charlie provides a truly hands-off ...
The Home Depot
homedepot.com › diy projects & ideas › outdoor living ideas › lawn & landscaping ideas & projects
8 Grass Alternatives for Lawns - The Home Depot
September 7, 2023 - Ground covers are adaptable to shady areas that are difficult for turf. Popular ground covers include liriope, jasmine, creeping Jenny, ajuga and mondo grass. Liriope, also called lilyturf, can be invasive in some areas of the country.
David Suzuki Foundation
davidsuzuki.org › home › ditch the grass! convert your lawn with these nine alternatives
Ditch the grass! Convert your lawn with these nine alternatives - David Suzuki Foundation
May 27, 2025 - Do you want to cover your garden soil with a soft alternative to wood chips? Wild strawberry has you covered — literally. This wide-ranging native plant can be used as a lawn replacement, groundcover or a living mulch around larger plants.
Epic Gardening
epicgardening.com › home › 11 ground cover plants that can replace your grass
11 Ground Cover Plants That Can Replace Your Grass
October 11, 2023 - But when it comes to environmental concerns, lawns are known for using up tons of resources and limiting biodiversity in your backyard. That’s why many gardeners are looking for lawn replacements to lower maintenance and help the environment at the same time. Whether you’re looking for extra flowers, something that can stand up to foot traffic, or even edible plants, these 11 ground cover plants make ideal lawn replacements in most backyards.