Groundcovers are versatile, evergreen easy-grow and easy care plants. They can add colour and interest to a garden, a rockery, a shady corner or on those hard to mow slopes. These low-growing, trailing plants also provide protection from soil erosion and drought.

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aka Bidibidi

A very useful little native for use as a ground cover or to drape over the edge of a container. Creeping soft stems of small maroon coloured foliage quickly forms a dense colourful mat. Happiest growing in a sunny well drained position. Will even do well in gravel. Evergreen.

 

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aka Prostrate Banksia

Dwarf prostrate/spreading groundcover with dusky-red flower heads. New leaf growth has a lovely rust colour. Likes light to medium well-drained soils in full sun or partial shade. Drought and frost tolerant once established. Great option for coastal or embankment planting and containers. Slow growing. Evergreen.

 

aka Creeping Banksia

This prostrate cultivar produces short brownish red candle-like flowers that arise beyond the leaves. Great in rockeries and smaller gardens, mass plant for dramatic effect or in small groups, verandah or deck. Easy maintenance, simply cut away spent flowers. Evergreen

 

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Sasanqua groundcover/weeper. While most camellia sasanquas can be used in a woodland setting, as a specimen plant or even as a privacy screen, this new prostrate form is the first ever that can be used as a ground cover or weeping over walls. Has abundant breath-taking double pink flowers. Evergreen

 

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Unique, strange, fun! This plant has a character all of its own, with fine 'hairy' strands of evergreen cascading foliage. Use as a groundcover or feature plant in rockeries, where it will spread to 1.5m across but only 30cm high. Excellent weed suppression, low maintenance. Evergreen

 

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aka California Lilac

An attractive spreading evergreen shrub which features sparkling clusters of dark blue flowers in late spring. The shiny foliage turns a deeps ebony shade during winter, changing to dark chocolate-green during spring and summer. Quite hardy and tolerant of wind and cold. PVR 1334.

This is a very useful shrub for cascading over walls and banks. Benefits from a trim every now and then (after flowering) to encourage healthy new growth. Very striking in full flower.

 

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A tropical, bright pink flowering groundcover that will hug the surface and can be used in a pot or container to cascade down the sides. It can also be used an under planting or to cascade over retaining walls. Will be a talking point when it is smothered in flowers. Evergreen

 

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aka AKA Yoyo

'Snow in Summer' AKA Yoyo is so named as the tiny silver grey leaves are smothered in star-shaped white flowers throughout the summer. A sweet little perennial which is perfect to cascade over walls and hot dry banks. Quite vigorous and hardy. Evergreen.

 

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Traditional ground cover with bright green feathery foliage and erect stems of small, daisy-like flowers. Charmingly scented and magic to walk on. Chamomile Lawn thrive in full sun, but will tolerate dappled shade.

 

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Deep blue, funnel like flowers are found in abundance on this low maintenance ground cover. Trail it over rocks and walls or would look great trailing from hanging pots. Dense neat habit. Evergreen perennial.

 

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Native. A spreading coprosma with dark brown foliage which darkens in winter to near black. Hardy and easy to grow. Makes a great groundcover for those tough spots in the garden. Will tolerate coastal conditions. Evergreen.

 

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Native. A wiry prostrate shrub at home in dry coastal conditions. Twisting interlacing branches with chocolate brown foliage. Bright blue bead-like berries in autumn. Makes a thick dense mat. Good on dunes, banks and walls. Evergreen.

 

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aka Sand Dune Coprosma

NZ Native. This form was discovered on cliffs near Hawera. It is a ground hugging native that forms a tight mat of small narrow olive green leaves. Excellent landscape plant for covering large areas of ground. Hardy, tolerant of cold and wind. Evergreen.

 

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Native. This low growing vigorous Coprosma creates a mat of rich rounded glossy sage green leaves with cream edges and gold coloured stems. It is easily grown in a sunny position and makes an excellent groundcover for banks. Grows in almost any sunny site. Frost, seashore and coastal tolerant. Evergreen.

 

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aka Mirror Plant

Native. If you have a lot of ground to cover then this little native will do the job for you with ease. Shiny green leaves that are edged with yellow and gold look good all year round. Grow in sun or part shade and protect from harsh frost. Great coastal plant. Evergreen.

 

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aka Mirror Plant

Native. Named for where it grows naturally - the Poor Knights Islands - this Coprosma is valued for the beautiful glossy green and evergreen foliage. Its growth habit is low and wide so it makes a good filler for banks etc. Likes the sun and can tolerate dry coastal conditions but not frost.

 

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aka Mirror Plant

NZ Native. Coprosma Prostrata has little shiny green leaves and makes an attractive groundcover. Great for those tough spots in the garden. Hardy and tolerant of dry conditions. Plant in full sun. Evergreen.

 

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aka Sand Dune Coprosma

This little Coprosma was discovered growing on the South Wellington coast so you know how tough and hardy it is to have survived there. Strong red/orange coloured leaves and stems. Tolerant of wind, salt and dry periods. Excellent ground cover that is happy to be trimmed. Evergreen.

 

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aka Coprosma

Native. A tough little native plant that is a useful ground-cover for large areas or difficult sites. Dainty dark green foliage, inconspicuous flowers that are sometimes followed by little blue berries. Hardy and easy to grow. Evergreen.

 

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aka Barberry Cotoneaster

An easy to grow ground cover shrub with small, dark green, glossy leaves that quickly forms a carpet of foliage. Tiny white flowers in spring are followed by bright red fruits that birds love. Hardy and tolerant. Semi-evergreen.

 

Excellent green leaved plant for hanging baskets, ground-cover, retaining walls or in a pot mixture. A vigorous cascading grower that performs best in full sun position being very drought and heat tolerant recovering quickly if wilting occurs. Expect a long season with this beauty.

 

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Excellent Silver leaved plant for hanging Baskets., groundcover or in a pot mixture. A vigorous cascading grower that performs best in full sun position being very drought and heat tolerant recovering quickly if wilting occurs. Expect a long season with this beauty.

 

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aka Fuchsia

A New Zealand native fuchsia that has the sweetest small but perfect fuchsia flowers followed by the most amazing large red berries. A groundcover plant that is best suited to a moist and semi shade to shaded position. Easily grown.

 

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aka Fuchsia

A native with sweet perfect fuchsia flowers followed by the most amazing large red berries. Variegated pale green leaves, each with an irregular white margin, on trailing stems. A ground cover plant that is best suited to a moist and semi shade to shaded position. Easily grown. Deciduous.

 

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aka Grevillea

A vigorous, ground-hugging shrub with divided green leaves that look a bit like an Oak leaf. The new shoots have a red tinge that matches the red 'toothbrush' flowers that appear from spring to autumn. Happy in the sun, tolerant of light or poor soils. Protect from frost. Evergreen.

 

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A hardy groundcover with variegated leaves. New growth has a pink tinge which later turns to white. Prune lightly after flowering. Ideal plant to cover large areas. Mass plant for quick effect. Fertilize with a low phosphorus fertilizer. Evergreen.

 

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A fast growing and dense ground cover plant, with toothed leaves and coppery red new growth. Fantastic quick grower for banks and slopes, and in large landscaping areas, and can cover up to 6 metres. Flowers winter to late spring with toothbrush like red flowers. Evergreen

 

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aka Hebe or Veronica

This Hebe has a low spreading habit making it useful as a ground-cover. The small dark green leaves and attractive burgundy tones which deepen in cooler weather. Pretty racemes of bright pink flowers appear in abundance in autumn and winter. Plant in a sunny well drained spot. Evergreen.

 

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aka Canary Island Ivy

Ivy. Fast growing evergreen, vigorous and self-clinging. A very useful plant when quick coverage of unsightly areas is needed, use as groundcover, over walls, buildings, tree stumps, or as an indoors plant. Glossy, broad, fresh green foliage, responds well to a trim. Tolerates just about anything.

 

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Variegated Ivy. Fast growing, vigorous and self-clinging. This is a useful plant when quick coverage of unsightly areas is needed. Use as an indoor plant. Glossy, broad, fresh green foliage always looks good and responds well to a trim. Tolerates just about anything. Evergreen.

 

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An award winning and attractive form of Ivy with variegated foliage. Use as a ground cover or to cover unsightly walls, fences, water tanks etc. Ivy tolerates regular clipping and makes a wonderful topiary plant grown on a frame. Happiest in semi-shade but otherwise very tolerant. Evergreen.

 

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aka Lemon Scented Jasmine

Jasminum azoricum, commonly known as lemon-scented jasmine is an evergreen climbing vine. Small dark green glossy leaves and white highly scented star-shaped flowers in summer. Ideal for growing over a trellis or fence.

 

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aka Trailing Juniper

This groundcover with smoky blue-green foliage looks great year-round. Thrives in hot, dry locations where other plants might fail. Slow growing, low maintenance, disease free and very easy to grow.Cold weather gives the foliage a plum colored cast. Evergreen

 

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Bright lemon yellow foliage during spring and summer turns light golden in winter. Compact, low spreading ground cover. Evergreen.

 

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aka Shore Leptinella

Native. Interesting and attractive little ground-cover with fresh green, flat, fern like foliage that sometimes has a hint of bronze. Quite fast growing in sun or part shade and tolerant of coastal conditions. Sometimes used as a 'now mow' lawn substitute. Evergreen.

 

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Rukuhia Beauty is the perfect, shade loving, groundcover for smaller gardens with its lush foliage of dark green. Likes moist earth and a dressing of slow release fert to support its growth periods. Low maintenance plant with high return, looks great planted enmasse. Perennial

 

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aka AKA Lithospermum

Lovely to spill over a wall or a bank this spreading ground-cover has beautiful medium blue flowers in spring and summer. The dark green leaves are somewhat 'hairy' on trailing stems. Likes a well drained, warm spot but can cope with afternoon shade. Cut back after flowering. Evergreen.

 

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aka AKA Lithospermum

A great little ground-cover to sprawl over a hot dry bank or in the rock garden. Darkest green foliage and brightest blue flowers from late spring through to summer. Trim regularly to keep tidy. Protect from harsh frost and avoid lime. Evergreen.

 

aka Creeping Jenny

Excellent yellow-green creeper plant. Perfect to cover ponds edges or sprawl along as a groundcover. Yellow flowers are produced in summer time. Prefers moist soils but can tolerate fully submerged spot.

 

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aka Wire Plant

A spreading, deciduous shrub that can add interest to any garden and works well contrasted with bold foliage. Brown zig-zag stems with small heart shaped green leaves. A unique habit of growth and foliage makes for a great feature shrub or mass planted. Extremely hardy.

Can be used as a low informal hedge or clipped to shape for a more formal hedge and sculptural topiary.

 

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aka Creeping Wire Vine

Here's something just a bit different to add contrast and texture to your planting schemes. Golden stems covered with tiny dark green leaves twist and turn to form a mat of dark green. Dainty yellow flowers in summer sometimes followed by black berries.

 

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aka Japanese Spurge

A selected form of this hardy ground-cover which grows particularly well in shade. Glossy green foliage with a 'serrated' edge on fleshy stems. Little white fragrant flowers in spring. Most attractive when allowed to form a thick mat of foliage. Hardy and evergreen.

Pachysandra will grow in sun but will need to be keep moist to do well. As it is an invaluable plant for shaded spots with is where it does best.

 

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aka Japanses Spurge

An invaluable plant for covering difficult shady spots in the garden. One of our favourites. The leathery dark green foliage with 'serrated' edges always looks good and is clustered on short stems. Tiny white flowers in summer. Plant in semi-shade for best results. Spreads easily, evergreen.

 

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aka Rice Flower or NZ Daphne

A NZ Native, mat forming ground cover with tiny, white starry, fragrant summer flowers and attractive blue foliage. Great in rockeries or for mass plantings to cover banks and retaining walls. Grows in full sun and part shade, coastal hardy and happy in dry soils.

 

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aka New Zealand Daphne

Native. New Zealand Daphne. A delightful little plant that loves to scramble over rocks or drape over walls and banks. The dainty foliage is a soft blue/green colour and the small white flowers appear in summer. The flowers are followed by small clear white berries. Likes the sun, good drainage and protection from harsh frost. Evergreen.

 

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aka Pratia or Panakenake or Lobelia

Native. Dainty deep green leaves that quickly form a low mat of tight foliage. In spring and summer myriads of starry shaped white flowers dance above the foliage, followed by fleshy red berries. Plant in sun or part shade in well drained soil that does not completely dry out in summer. Evergreen.

 

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A useful and very pretty little ground-cover with fresh green dainty foliage and even daintier star shaped flowers of pale blue. These appear from spring through to summer and are followed by small berries. Can be grown in sun or part shade in open soil that does not completely dry out. Evergreen.

 

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A useful and very pretty little ground-cover with fresh green dainty foliage and even daintier star shaped flowers of white. These appear from spring through to summer and are followed by small berries. Can be grown in sun or part shade in open soil that does not completely dry out. Evergreen.

 

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aka Pratia

Native. Dainty deep green small leaves that quickly form a low mat of tight foliage. In spring and summer myriads of starry shaped white flowers dance above the foliage, followed by fleshy purple berries. Plant in sun or part shade in well drained soil that does not completely dry out in summer. Evergreen.

 

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aka Rosemary

Prostrate groundcover with light blue flowers and aromatic foliage. Ideal for hot, dry areas. Very hardy and fast growing. Excellent for banks and rockeries.

 

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Native. An intriguing moss-like plant that forms dense mounded cushions of emerald green foliage with fascinating humps and hollows. A great plant for rockeries, ferneries and containers. Does best in well-drained soil in Full sun to part shade. Evergreen

 

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aka Carpet or Creeping Thyme

This is the perfect Thyme to use as a tough aromatic ground-cover. Little dark green leaves and tiny crimson pink flowers in summer. Hardy and easy to grow. Benefits from a light trim every now and then. Evergreen.

 

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aka Woolly Thyme

The common name for this garden Thyme is Woolly Thyme which relates to the tiny, hairy, grey leaves which form a dense carpet. While not suitable for culinary purposes it is very useful as a ground-cover or for draping over walls and banks. Evergreen.

 

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aka Thyme

Herb. Want a super dramatic groundcover? Ruby carpet will cover itself in gorgeous pink flowers throughout spring. Excellent bee attractant for the vege garden and an excellent culinary herb as well. Aromatic foliage. Happy in a sunny well drained position in the garden or container. Evergreen.

 

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aka Star Jasmine

In my opinion one of the best evergreen climbers available to gardeners. Leathery glossy green leaves that have tones of red in winter and myriads of little white star shaped flowers in summer. Wonderfully fragrant. Easy to grow. Can be used as a sprawling ground-cover too.

 

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aka Periwinkle

Periwinkle. A vigorous little ground-cover with glossy green and cream, narrow foliage topped off with small starry blue flowers in spring and summer. Will cover the ground quite quickly and can easily be trimmed back if it gets too carried away. Likes semi-shade and protection from harsh frost. Evergreen.

Periwinkle is very easy to grow but does not like soil that completely drys out in summer.

 

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aka Periwinkle

Commonly known as Periwinkle this useful little ground-cover has glossy green foliage and little bright purple flowers in spring and summer. Good for planting under trees or in woodland areas as it likes a little shade and protection from harsh frost. Can be trimmed if it gets too carried away. Evergreen.

I grow my Periwinkle in a tall narrow container where is drapes attractively over the sides. While this plant is quite easy to grow it will do better in soil that does not completely dry out in summer.

 

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aka Periwinkle

Periwinkle. A vigorous little ground-cover with glossy green, narrow foliage topped off with small white starry flowers in spring and summer. Will cover the ground quite quickly and can easily be trimmed back if it gets too carried away. Likes semi-shade and protection from harsh frost. Evergreen.

Periwinkle is very easy to grow but does not like soil that completely drys out in summer.

 

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aka Periwinkle

Periwinkle. A vigorous little ground-cover with glossy golden leaves edged with gold, small blue starry flowers in spring and summer. Great for lighting up a shady corner. Grows quickly and can be trimmed back if it gets too carried away. Likes semi-shade and protection from harsh frost. Evergreen.

Periwinkle is very easy to grow but does not like soil that completely drys out in summer.