27 Best Grass Alternative Plants

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Grace up your lawn with attractive landscapes without investing much in maintenance with the Best Grass Alternative Plants listed below!

Well-maintained lawns bring an impactful impression to homeowners. However, nurturing a grassy lawn can be hectic; trying out low-lying specimens that would thrive in neglect besides enhancing the landscape would be wise. If you are looking for the same, here are the Best Grass Alternative Plants you must check out!

Here are the Best Black Grasses for Landscaping and Containers


Best Grass Alternatives

1. Creeping Jenny

Botanical Name: Lysimachia nummularia

Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

With its golden leaves and yellow blooms, Creeping Jenny spreads quickly to form soft mats perfect for open areas.

2. Creeping Thyme

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Botanical Name: Thymus serpyllum

Sun Exposure: Full sun

Corsican Thyme handles foot traffic well, covering walkways and borders with durable purple blossoms.

3. Rupturewort

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Botanical Name: Herniaria glabra

Sun Exposure: Full sun

Rupturewort thrives in neglect and covers the ground with a tiny, dense sheet of lush leaves, making it a great grass alternative.

4. Moss

Botanical Name: Bryophyta

Sun Exposure: Partial Sun

Moss forms a soft, velvety carpet in damp and shady areas. It offers a low-maintenance lawn substitute with its lush, unruly growth.

5. White Clover

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Botanical Name: Trifolium repens

Sun Exposure: Full sun

White Clover is a hardy nitrogen-fixing legume that makes its fertilizer, needing no extra care to stay lush across lawns and yards.

6. Lily Turf

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Botanical Name: Liriope muscari

Sun Exposure: Partial shade

Lily turf features slender grass-like leaves and fragrant lavender blooms. It holds up well to heavy foot traffic, making it perfect for replacing lawn grass in high-traffic areas.

7. Creeping Charlie

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Botanical Name: Glechoma hederacea

Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

This low-maintenance grass flourishes across lawns and poor soil with distinct round leaves. Light purple blooms add ornamental value to this adaptable ground cover.

8. Sweet Woodruff

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Botanical Name: Galium odoratum

Sun Exposure: Partial shade

Sweet Woodruff produces tiny white star-shaped flowers with a subtle sweet scent. The lush green foliage reaches only 2 inches tall, perfect for low-lying shaded lawns.

9. Blue Star Creeper

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Botanical Name: Isotoma fluviatilis

Sun Exposure: Full sun

The pretty flowering groundcover grows only 2-3 inches tall, making it one of the best grass alternative plants. It is also resistant to drought and extreme weather conditions.

10. Creeping Raspberry

Botanical Name: Rubus hayata-koidzumii

Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

The green five-lobed foliage takes a burgundy hue in fall through winter, and the pretty white flowers add to the show. It is low-maintenance and pest-resistant.

11. Creeping Wire Vine

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Botanical Name: Muehlenbeckia axillaris

Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

Creeping Wire Vine handles infertile, rocky, and dry soil quite well. Its vigorous spreading makes it useful as a large-scale ground cover.

12. Miniature Speedwell

Botanical Name: Veronica

Sun Exposure: Full sun

This dense mat-forming perennial has rich azure blossoms that spread quickly to block weeds. Its low height and medium-drought tolerance add to the appeal.

Here are the best ornamental grasses you can grow in containers 

13. Blue Fescue

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Botanical Name: Festuca glauca

Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade

Blue Fescue’s slender blue-green blades add striking color and texture without needing mowing. This sturdy ornamental grass grows in neat, compact tufts.

14. Deadnettle

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Botanical Name: Lamium purpurium

Sun Exposure: Part Shade to Full Shade

Variegated Deadnettle spreads quickly across shade gardens, with its leaves blanketing the ground.

15. Roman Chamomile

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Botanical Name: Chamaemelum nobile

Sun Exposure: Full Sun

Dainty Roman Chamomile features aromatic foliage and abundant delicate white blooms. It makes a lovely low-maintenance lawn substitute.

16. Wild Ginger

Botanical Name: Asarum canadense

Sun Exposure: Part Shade to Full Shade

This low-growing plant produces unique reddish-brown blooms hidden under its broad sheltering leaves. It grows slowly and requires moist soil.

17. Dwarf Plumbago

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Botanical Name: Ceratostigma plumbaginoides

Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade

The Dwarf Plumbago is a compact, easy-care plant that produces abundant clusters of true-blue flowers. It adds great color impact and little care is needed.

18. Prairie Dropseed

Botanical Name: Sporobolus heterolepis

Sun Exposure: Full Sun

With its fine, green foliage and airy seed heads, Prairie Dropseed adds texture and movement to gardens, which makes it an amazing grass alternative plant.

19. Golden Star

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Botanical Name: Chrysogonum virginianum

Sun Exposure: Part Shade to Full Shade

The Golden Star illuminates shaded areas with its vibrant yellow daisy-like blooms and lush dark green foliage that forms a compact carpet.

20. Blue-Eyed Grass

Botanical Name: Sisyrinchium bellum ‘North Coast’

Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade

This grass-like plant produces small, blue flowers with yellow centers that resemble eyes. It is a low-maintenance plant that grows quickly and is ideal for use in rock gardens.

21. Barren Strawberry

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Botanical Name: Waldsteinia ternata

Sun Exposure: Part Shade to Full Shade

Another of the best grass alternatives, the barren strawberry features evergreen foliage that remains trim and forms lush mats ornamented with small flowers.

22. Woodland Phlox

Botanical Name: Phlox divaricata

Sun Exposure: Part Shade to Full Shade

Woodland Phlox perfumes garden beds and natural areas with abundant stacks of five-petaled lavender-blue flowers from late spring to summer.

23. Foamflower

Botanical Name: Tiarella

Sun Exposure: Part Shade to Full Shade

This plant features delicate, frothy flowers that bloom in shades of white, pink, or purple. What makes it an attractive grass alternative is its ease of maintenance.

24. Bugleweed

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Botanical Name: Ajuga reptans

Sun Exposure: Part Shade to Full Shade

Bugleweed produces spikes of blue or purple flowers and features glossy, dark green leaves, which makes it stand out in any yard.

25. Canadian Columbine

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Botanical Name: Aquilegia canadensis

Sun Exposure: Part Shade to Full Sun

With its nodding, bell-shaped flowers, and delicate foliage, the Canadian Columbine is perfect for adding grace and beauty to your lawn.

26. Allegheny Spurge

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Botanical Name: Pachysandra procumbens

Sun Exposure: Part Shade to Full Shade

This low-growing plant has glossy, evergreen leaves and produces small, white flowers in the spring.

27. Bearberry

Best Grass Alternative Plants 27

Botanical Name: Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade

Bearberry displays small glossy leaves that turn vibrant red in fall, later producing clusters of bright red berries for winter interest.

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