17 Easy-to-Grow Plants to Replace Your Lawn

Lawns play a role in our landscapes as places to play, relax, and take in sweeping views. They define spaces, give the eye a place to rest, and create unity between garden areas. But, balancing turfgrass with plants that are less of a monoculture enhances ecological services. From edible landscapes to meadows to simple groundcovers, options abound for replacing lawns – all or in part – with diverse selections.

Lawns are high-maintenance in terms of resources (chemical and equipment use) and time, and reimagining their role is an opportunity to deepen our garden’s resources. Lessening turf increases diversity, supporting pollinators and beneficial insects and better managing rainwater. 

Pennsylvania Sedge

	botanical name Carex pensylvanica
	sun requirements Full sun to full shade
	height 1-12”
	hardiness zones 3-8

Carex forms soft, tufting mounds that colonize gracefully along an open expanse or slope. With many native Carex species across the U.S., tailoring one to your growing area makes for an easy grower. The Mt. Cuba Center offers a valuable resource with the top performers of their Carex trials.

C. pensylvanica occurs naturally in eastern and central North America in dry woodlands. Pennsylvania sedge creates a green carpet of gently arching blades that don’t need mowing. As a lawn alternative or for a short appearance, mow it a few times a year to keep leaves two to three inches tall.

The lush clumps develop reddish-purple inflorescences in late spring. The sedges spread through rhizomes and self-seed in optimal conditions. Loose, loamy, and medium-to-dry soils provide the best foundation.

Lance Selfheal

	botanical name Prunella vulgaris subsp. lanceolata
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 4-20”
	hardiness zones 4-9

Lance selfheal is ready to replace the lawn to support pollinators. It has purple bloom spikes that attract beneficial insects in droves and is a host plant for the clouded sulfur butterfly. Its nectar and pollen-rich flowers emerge from spring through frost.

The tough perennial has a widespread native range across the northern hemisphere. It spreads readily and is a good option for slopes and eroded zones. It handles foot traffic and mowing and flowers even when kept low.

As a rapid spreader, selfheal is a good fit for spaces with room to run. Otherwise, it has a weedy tendency and may outcompete nearby perennials.

Green and Gold

	botanical name Chrysogonum virginianum
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 1-2”
	hardiness zones 5-9

Green and gold is a native North American wildflower with glossy green leaves and a blanket of yellow, star-shaped flowers in spring and early summer. Spreading stems form a dense mat, and purple berries post-flowering add to the interest.

After the spring flush, blooms become sparse during intense heat. Fall can yield another round, and leaves may show purple-red tinting as temperatures cool.

Green and gold is a durable solution to challenging shady areas. It has a medium-to-fast growth rate in average, well-draining soils. Bees and butterflies appreciate its bright flowers while birds forage on its fruits. 

Thyme

	botanical name Thymus spp.
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1-18”
	hardiness zones 4-9

Thyme fits into small spaces with versatile uses, from groundcover to culinary applications. The diminutive herbs have delicate features like tiny leaves and wiry stems but are rugged and drought-tolerant once established. 

Creeping thyme (Thymus praecox) and wooly thyme (Thymus pseudolanuginosus) are useful to replace lawns. Pink blooms appear in the summer and attract pollinators.

They’re slow to start, but once roots develop, they are low maintenance and waterwise. Use them in between stepping stones and along walkways to experience their aromatic foliage under a footstep.

Wintergreen

	botanical name Gaultheria procumbens
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 4-8”
	hardiness zones 3-7

Wintergreen is a dwarf, evergreen spreader with rounded, leathery leaves with year-round interest. Nodding bell flowers appear in summer in sweet pinkish-white. They give way to bright scarlet berries that decorate bronzey-red foliage in winter.

American wintergreen is a Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit recipient. It requires little maintenance, has high ornamental value, and grows across a range of climates. This woodland favorite prefers dappled light or light shade of an overhead canopy.

Wintergreen leaves have a fresh, minty aroma and flavor. The fruits are a favorite among birds and wildlife. The cold hardy perennial thrives in organic soils with even moisture and good drainage but tolerates drier conditions once established.

Roman Chamomile

	botanical name Chamaemelum nobile
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3-6”
	hardiness zones 4-9

Roman chamomile (English or garden chamomile) is a perennial herb similar to annual chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla). Roman chamomile is evergreen, shorter, and with a coarser texture. Both are in the daisy family and produce clusters of white ray flowers and feathery leaves. Roman chamomile forms a low-spreading mat of aromatic foliage and flowers.

Roman chamomile blooms into the fall with late-season flowers that attract pollinators. Sturdy stems root easily and spread to create an evergreen lawn replacement that withstands mowing and minimal foot traffic. The vigorous herbs spread out of bounds if not kept in check. Roman chamomile is invasive in parts of coastal northern California.

Use the flowers to make soothing chamomile tea and potpourris and enjoy their light, fruity fragrance in the landscape. Roman chamomile is disease, pest, and deer resistant and tolerates poor soils and periods of drought. The genus is toxic to animals, so avoid it as a turf alternative if you have dogs, cats, or other pets that frolic in the area.

Golden Creeping Jenny

	botanical name Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2-6”
	hardiness zones 3-9

Golden creeping jenny has chartreuse leaves that dot trailing stems. ‘Aurea’ spreads less aggressively than the straight Lysimachia species, which is invasive in some areas. But its lush stems do run and root, especially in moist soils.

Golden creeping jenny shows more gold in sunny spots and lime in shadier zones. Leaves become brassy or blanched in too much sun. Note that this is a widely invasive species in North America, but it’s a good candidate for container growing, or growing in areas outside its invasive range.

Sweet Woodruff

	botanical name Galium odoratum
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 6-12”
	hardiness zones 4-9

Sweet woodruff grows quickly to form a compact, leafy mat of fresh green, whorled foliage. Lightly fragrant clusters of white, star-shaped flowers top stems in spring. Leaves become aromatic as they dry and are a fresh addition to potpourris.

While it grows most vigorously in moist, rich soils, the aggressive groundcover is adaptable. To slow the spread while enjoying its attributes, plant it in challenging sites like shade, dry areas, or clay soils. Check for invasiveness in parts of the Pacific Northwest, Michigan, and the Mid-Atlantic.

Blue Grama

	botanical name Bouteloua gracilis
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 6-20”
	hardiness zones 3-10

Blue grama is a low-growing prairie native that performs well as a lawn replacement. The fine blades take occasional mowing and reach only six inches tall (one foot or more in flower).

Look for ‘Hachita’ for a fast-growing selection, quick to germinate. ‘Blonde Ambition’ has attractive blue leaves and golden flowers held like little pennants on strong stems. Their floating seeds last well into winter. ‘Honeycomb’ is similar in stature with patterned seedheads in warm brown.

Blue grama grass does best in well-drained soils with a neutral pH (around 7.0). It’s drought-tolerant once established and ideal for waterwise, low-maintenance ornament.

Corsican Mint

	botanical name Mentha requienii
	sun requirements Partial shade
	height 1-3”
	hardiness zones 6-9

Corsican mint creates a carpet of miniature, freshly scented leaves. The small spreader reaches about one foot wide or more on thin, creeping stems to form a dense mat.

Like creeping thyme, this creeping mat is refreshingly aromatic and earthy with a creme-de-menthe fragrance (its leaves are the key ingredient in the liqueur). It tolerates limited foot traffic and works well around stepping stones and walkways. Incorporate the edible leaves into teas, salads, and baked goods.

Corsican mint grows best in consistently moist, well-drained soils and doesn’t withstand drought. In hot climates, it appreciates protection from intense afternoon sun. But, it escapes cultivation in the southeast and invades surrounding areas. In addition to spreading stems, it reseeds where growing conditions are prime. In cold climates, treat it as an annual, where it pops up year after year from seed. 

Blue Star Creeper

	botanical name Isotoma fluviatilis
	sun requirements Partial shade
	height 2-3”
	hardiness zones 6-8

Blue star creeper creates a soft, inviting expanse of tiny leaves and starry blue-white flowers in spring and summer. While delicate in appearance, it handles foot traffic and is a good option for growing in a swath or between stepping stones.

Blue star is low-maintenance but needs consistent moisture. It adapts to various soil types, including loams, sand, and rocky situations. The moderate grower spreads one to two feet.

Violets

	botanical name Viola spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 6”
	hardiness zones 3-8

Perennial violets have a delightful fragrance, sweet blooms, and a clumping habit. Sometimes dismissed as a weed among turf, they become an easy plant to replace the lawn. And their blooms support pollinators.

Viola ‘Celestial™ Blue Moon’ has creamy white petals and brushed blue edges punctuated by a yellow center. Noted for its winter hardiness and heat tolerance, ‘Blue Moon’ has deep evergreen foliage, early flowering, and compact habit.

Viola odorata ‘Etain’ is wood violet or sweet violet that clumps with delightfully fragrant blooms in spring and summer. Lavender margins tinge pale yellow petals on pansy-like flowers. 

Lamium

	botanical name Lamium maculatum
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 3-9”
	hardiness zones 3-8

Lamium, or spotted deadnettle, lightens shady areas with bright little leaves in silver, variegated, green, and gold varieties. Pink, purple, or white flowers appear in late spring through early summer, with sporadic blooming until frost. 

Infill is best in organically rich, moist, well-drained soils. They tolerate dry sites but wither in overly damp conditions, which leads to crown and stem rot. Lamium fades in compacted, wet soils and high heat and humidity.

Spotted deadnettle spreads vigorously. If it’s invasive in your area, look to other shade-loving turf alternatives like bunchberry and bearberry (beautiful and native). In other areas, easily pluck lamium’s running stems to keep them in bounds.

Aster ‘Snow Flurry’

	botanical name Aster ericoides f. prostratum ‘Snow Flurry’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 4-8”
	hardiness zones 3-9

Heath asters are North American natives with a multibranched, compact, prostrate habit. The shrubby perennials produce a profusion of small, white ray flowers that obscure foliage in September and October. It tolerates drought and eroded sites, including clay, shallow, and rocky soils. It also makes a pretty cut flower.

‘Snow Flurry’ forms an attractive mounding groundcover. The low form is less than a foot tall but spreads four feet wide. ‘Snow Flurry’ is disease-resistant, tolerates dry conditions, and makes a unique, easy-to-grow plant as a lawn replacement.

Woodland Strawberry

	botanical name Fragaria vesca
	sun requirements Full sun to full shade
	height 3-9”
	hardiness zones 5-9

These wild strawberries are vigorous spreaders with edible fruits. The low-growers have running stolons from basal rosettes of fresh green, sharply-toothed leaves.

Bright pinkish-white blooms appear in summer to brighten the understory. Their nectar and pollen-rich centers, in bright yellow, attract bees, butterflies, and other beneficials. The petite red berries are everbearing and intensely sweet and flavorful.

F. vesca is indigenous to temperate areas of the northern hemisphere. Fragaria virginiana is another native wild strawberry to employ as a turf alternative. Wild strawberries thrive in evenly moist, organically rich soils with good drainage.

Mountain Mint

	botanical name Pycnanthemum spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1-3’
	hardiness zones 3-9

If you have room for a taller perennial, mountain mint is a valuable native herb for its fragrant, velvety leaves and pink blooms from mid-summer through fall. Silvery flower bracts “dust” the plant in a pearly sheen. This pollinator magnet is showy and informal, well-suited to naturalized arrangements. 

Mountain mint is native to the eastern U.S. with a wide range. It grows in grassy, open fields, meadows, and low woodland areas. Mountain mint is a clump-forming woody plant that spreads by rhizomes but isn’t invasive. Cut the roots with a spade to control the spread if they get out of bounds. When crushed, the leaves have a spearmint aroma and are flavorful in cooking and teas.

Sedum

	botanical name Sedum spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3-24”
	hardiness zones 3-9

Sedum, or stonecrop, brings visual appeal with vibrant succulent foliage in unique shapes and forms. ‘Golden Carpet’ and ‘Angelina’ bring chartreuse-gold stems with an easy spreading habit. Drought tolerant, they thrive with neglect in well-draining soils.

For a fall-flowering groundcover, opt for Sedum ‘Yellow  Brick Road.’ The low-growers have deep green, mounding, and spreading foliage. Small yellow blooms show full color in mid-to-late summer and early autumn.