low ground cover plants
Looking to create a lush, living carpet in your garden? Low ground cover plants are the ideal choice for gardeners wanting to fill bare patches with greenery, suppress weeds, and add texture without overwhelming their landscape. These compact performers thrive in our New Zealand conditions, offering variety in form, colour, and function. Whether you need hardy, sun-loving foliage or resilient shade options, a few well-selected low ground cover plants can transform beds, borders, and even tricky spots beneath trees into beautiful, easy-care zones. This guide explores the best low ground cover plants for your garden, highlighting species that deliver maximum impact with minimal maintenance.
Carpodetus serratus prostrata
Carpodetus serratus prostrata, commonly known as prostrate Marble Leaf or prostrate Putaputaweta, is a low-growing, NZ native shrub that is often used as a groundcover. Its spreading and somewhat tangled branches carry small leaves which are variegated green and lime green as it grows to 50 cm tall and 1 m wide. Carpodetus serratus prostrata is ideal for planting around the base of larger trees and shrubs, as a groundcover on damp sites, or for inclusion in border plantings.
From $26.93
Selliera 'Sundrops'
Selliera 'Sundrops' is a tough low growing ground cover valued for its glossy green foliage and cheerful yellow daisy flowers that appear through the warmer months. This hardy plant performs exceptionally well in New Zealand gardens, especially in coastal and exposed sites. It is ideal for gardeners wanting a reliable low maintenance ground cover with colour. Selliera 'Sundrops' spreads neatly to suppress weeds while adding brightness and texture to garden spaces.
From $19.58
