Name: The Plant Company
Address: 284 Meeanee Road, Meeanee, Napier, 4112, New Zealand
Telephone: 0800 843 752
Price range: Contact Us
Rating: 4.8/5

flowering ground cover plants full sun

If your garden basks in full sun, you’re in the perfect spot to showcase an array of beautiful, hardy flowering ground cover plants. Full sun areas, whether they border walkways, sweep beneath shrubs, or fill open beds, become dazzling carpets of colour with the right selections. Not only do flowering ground cover plants for full sun suppress weeds and control soil erosion, they also attract pollinators and provide year-round enjoyment. In New Zealand’s varied climates, these resilient performers are essential for easy-care, vibrant landscaping.

Arthropodium cirratum (Rengarenga) plants in flower with lush green foliage in a border garden.

Arthropodium cirratum (Rengarenga Lily)

Arthropodium cirratum, commonly known as Rengarenga Lily or New Zealand Rock Lily, is a clump-forming, evergreen perennial native to New Zealand. It features lush, arching, dark green foliage and produces masses of starry white flowers on wispy stems during spring and summer.

Buy Arthropodium cirratum (Rengarenga Lily)

From $9.95

Suited to regions: Subtropical, Temperate

Plant type: Perennials

Height: 75 cm

Spread: 75 cm

Flowering time: Spring, Summer

Tolerances: Coastal, Shade

Garden uses: Banks, Borders, Living areas, Paths & Steps, Patios, Ponds, Pool areas

Garden styles: Backyard, City & Courtyard, Coastal, Cottage, Frontyard, Japanese, Modern, Native, Tropical, White

Gardenia radicans

Gardenia radicans is a compact, low-growing shrub prized for its glossy green foliage and intensely fragrant white flowers. Blooming from late spring through summer, it adds a sweet perfume and lush texture to NZ gardens.

Buy Gardenia radicans

From $16.95

Suited to regions: Subtropical, Temperate

Plant type: Groundcover Plants

Height: 40 cm

Spread: 70 cm

Flowering time: Spring, Summer

Garden uses: Borders, Containers, Ground covering, Living areas, Paths & Steps, Pool areas

Garden styles: Backyard, City & Courtyard, Cottage, Frontyard, Japanese, Modern, Tropical, White

Why Choose Flowering Ground Cover Plants for Full Sun?

Full sun environments can be challenging for many plants, but the right flowering ground covers are adapted to thrive in these bright, often dry spaces. They cope well with heat, put on a striking seasonal show, and require minimal care once established. Choosing dense, spreading varieties enhances both aesthetics and garden health, reducing watering and weeding needs while adding splashes of colour and texture.

Best Flowering Ground Cover Plants for Full Sun

When selecting flowering ground cover plants for full sun in New Zealand, look for reliable choices that combine ornamental value with toughness. Here are some standout options:

Pimelea mimosa

A stunning New Zealand native, Pimelea mimosa forms a dense mat covered in small, creamy-white flowers during spring and summer. This ground cover thrives in sunny, well-drained positions and is highly tolerant of coastal conditions, making it ideal for exposed garden edges or banks.

Gardenia radicans

For those who love fragrance, Gardenia radicans ticks every box. It offers glossy green foliage and masses of fragrant white blooms during the warmer months. Plant in a sunny, sheltered spot for a beautifully scented, evergreen ground cover that performs reliably year after year.

Grevillea Gaudichaudii (Grevillea x gaudichaudii)

Grevillea Gaudichaudii (Grevillea x gaudichaudii) is a vigorous, spreading ground cover with ferny foliage and beautiful clusters of rich red flowers. This Australian native is renowned for attracting birds and is exceptionally drought-tolerant—perfect for sunny slopes and hot, dry gardens.

Convolvulus Two Moons

Brighten up borders and banks with Convolvulus Two Moons, a low-growing evergreen with showy white and pale blue trumpet flowers. This sun-loving ground cover is superb for seaside gardens, rockeries, and retaining walls, offering a long flowering season and minimal maintenance.

Isotoma fluviatilis

If you’re after a delicate effect, Isotoma fluviatilis (Blue Star Creeper) is an excellent choice. Its carpets of tiny blue star-shaped flowers appear through spring and summer. It’s tough, quick-spreading, and can handle full sun areas as well as occasional foot traffic, making it perfect between pavers or in courtyard gardens.

Tips for Growing Flowering Ground Cover Plants in Full Sun

Prepare the soil by incorporating compost to improve drainage and encourage root development.
Water new plantings thoroughly but avoid overwatering established, drought-hardy varieties.
Mulch around the base to suppress weeds and retain soil moisture.
Trim after flowering to keep your ground covers neat and encourage denser growth.

With the right flowering ground cover plants full sun gardens become vibrant, resilient, and low-maintenance. Browse our range to create your ideal, flower-filled landscape with ease.

Contact us

Whether you need assistance finding the plant you’re looking for or you simply want to know more about who we are and what we do, we invite you to get in touch with us today. A member of The Plant Company team will get back in touch as soon as possible.

flowering ground cover plants full sun

Arthropodium cirratum (Rengarenga Lily)

Gardenia radicans

Did you find what you are looking for?

Why Choose Flowering Ground Cover Plants for Full Sun?