ground cover plants for hot dry areas
Looking for ground cover plants for hot dry areas in New Zealand? You’re not alone. Exposed slopes, sun-soaked driveways, and sandy soils are common challenges for Kiwi gardeners. Luckily, the right groundcover choices can create low-maintenance, drought-tolerant carpets of green (and even silver or blue) in the toughest spots. In this guide, we’ll introduce several top-performing ground cover plants for hot dry areas, along with tips on how to establish and care for them in your garden.
Muehlenbeckia complexa (Pohuehue)
Muehlenbeckia complexa (Pohuehue) is a vigorous, hardy NZ native climber or groundcover. It features wiry, twining stems and small, glossy green leaves that create dense coverage. Growing up to 4 m wide and 2 m high, it’s perfect for fences, banks, or walls. Pohuehue tolerates wind, salt spray, and dry conditions once established. Small, white flowers are followed by black berries, attracting birds and making it an excellent choice for both erosion control and biodiversity.
From $20.63
Juniperus procumbens Nana (Japanese Dwarf Juniper)
Juniperus procumbens 'Nana', commonly known as the Prostrate Juniper, is a ground-hugging conifer that forms a carpet of blue-green, needle-like leaves. The foliage is held densely on prostrate branches as it grows to 30 cm in height and 1.5 m in width. Juniperus procumbens 'Nana' is commonly used as an attractive groundcover, included in rock gardens, grown around the base of large trees, used in borders, mass planted on a bank, or generally included where a hardy, ground-covering plant is required.
