Use These Water-Wise Groundcovers as Living Mulch to Hide a Dead Lawn

Dry-area homeowners don’t need to abandon curb appeal to reduce water. Ditch the brown lawn for these attractive, drought-tolerant groundcovers

Kimberly Gomes and Heather Arndt Anderson  – April 7, 2015 | Updated July 30, 2019

Summer drought can really hit a front yard hard — especially in the West. But that doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice aesthetics or precious curb appeal. One option for weathering the dry heat is to use more native plants (check the native plant societies for California, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, and Oregon for plant lists and nursery resources). Another is to ditch your lawn and plant an enticing landscape of attractive, drought-tolerant groundcover. Here are a dozen or so that we love. 

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Sedum ‘Angelina’

(Sedum rupestre ‘Angelina’)

Loved for its yellow, summer flowers and hands-off care, Sedum ‘Angelina’ is a popular low-water pick. Its blue-green leaves grow rapidly with minimal water. Plant 9 to 12 inches apart as a lawn replacement. Like other groundcover succulents, it’s delicate, so plant far from romping feet.

2 of 13 Thomas J. Story

Cistus ‘Little Miss Sunshine’

(Cistus Corbariensis ‘Little Miss Sunshine’)

While it’s primarily seen as a squared shrub, this evergreen, drought-tolerant groundcover can easily cover an entire lawn. Its white flowers entice butterflies from spring through early summer. Incredibly drought-tolerant, this plant requires little to no water hence why it’s often grown in fire-hazard areas in need of erosion control.

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Woolly Thyme

(Thymus serpyllum)

This dense mat calls for little water, and attracts an abundance of bees and beneficial bugs. Its pink flowers and edible leaves grow no higher than three inches, making a perfect, drought-tolerant groundcover in between steps and along pathways.

4 of 13 Linda Lamb Peters

Silver Carpet

(Dymondia margaretae)

This stepable groundcover is perfect for planting in between stones. Its gray-green leaves can thrive under light foot traffic with moderate watering, and grow no higher than three inches. For best results, plant in dry, rocky soil.

5 of 13 Stephen Gunther

Ceanothus

(Ceanothus ‘Yankee Point’)

Bursting with baby blue blooms, this cultivar of native California lilac is a durable, drought-tolerant groundcover particularly suited to coastal climates. Growing up to three feet high and ten feet wide, Ceanothus is a an attractive lawn alternative with sparse water needs. Inland residents should plant in partial shade.

6 of 13 E. Spencer Toy

Sedum ‘Dragon’s Blood’

(Sedum spurium ‘Dragon’s Blood’)

Those looking for an unconventional groundcover will appreciate this succulent’s deep color and low-maintenance care. These red crawlers stretch across a few feet and create an attractive frame, but are easily crushed, so watch your step.

7 of 13 Linda Lamb Peters

Fescue

(Festuca)

One of many low-water grasses, this clumping perennial produces neat mounds of fine leaves. It also lends a hand to sloped yards in need of erosion control. Its mounding varieties grow up to 24 inches high, and are generally maintenance free aside from an annual spring ranking. S far as drought-tolerant groundcovers go, this one adds some of the lushest green you can hope for.

8 of 13 Carlos Reusser Monsalvez, via Flickr Creative Commons

Ice plant

(Lampranthus spp. and Delosperma spp.)

Anyone who's driven down a California highway knows how incredibly drought-tolerant this groundcover can be. This succulent perennial requires little to no water and thrives with nominal maintenance. Its pale pink flowers are often seen in coastal gardens, growing up to 6 inches high. While they're not particularly stepable, these fleshy plants serve as a fitting, water wise lawn alternative.o

9 of 13 Linda Lamb Peters

Roman Chamomile

(Camaemelum nobile)

Aromatic and edible, this stepable groundcover is a treat for the senses. Homeowners looking for a colorful lawn substitute can plant starters 1 ft. apart, water moderately, and mow occasionally. When left to bloom its daisy-like flowers can be steeped in tea. For minimal grooming, try the flowerless variety ‘Treneague’ fitting for large spaces and between permeable pavement.

10 of 13 Stephen Gunther

Creeping Thyme

(Thymus polytrichus britannicus)

It’s no wonder this bee magnet is loved by a wide range of gardeners. Between its beautiful blossoms and minimal watering needs, creeping thyme raises the bar for lawn replacements. Plant ‘Creeping Pink’ or ‘Coccinem’ when covering large plots, and ‘Pink Chintz or ‘Minus’ (shown in photograph) in between stepping stones and obtain one of the best lawn fake-outs possible in a  drought-tolerant groundcover.

11 of 13 E. Spencer Toy

Sedum ‘Blue Spruce’

(Sedum rupestre 'Blue Spruce’)

Kin to the Sedum ‘Angelina’, this soft succulent bares a similar spiny structure, but boasts a blue-green tone. It thrives in full sun or part shade, and grows up to 16 inches high. Sedum ‘Blue Spruce’ crawls, so plant 9-12 inches a part along pathways as a full groundcover or in between steps.

12 of 13 Derek Fell

Aaron's Beard

(Hypericum calycinum)

Also known as Creeping St. John’s Wort, this bursting (and drought-tolerant!) groundcover spreads fast with its hearty underground stems. Favored for its deer resistance and moderate water needs, it serves as a lawn alternative. Hypericum calycinum produces yellow blooms in the summer and stretches up 12 inches high. Plant 1 ½ ft. a part, but avoid sowing alongside other beds–this one easily oversteps its boundaries.

13 of 13 Kimberley Navabpour

Common thrift

Armeria maritima

This native plant, common thrift, grows in tufted mounds, blooming with white to pink flowers. It naturally grows in sand dunes and can handle a fair bit of dry heat and disturbance.

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