Ground Cover With White Flowers: A Beautiful and Functional Landscaping Option

White flowers can add an elegant touch to any outdoor space. If you’re looking for a way to incorporate white blooms in your yard or garden, ground cover plants are a great option. Not only are they visually appealing, but they also serve important functional purposes like preventing soil erosion, suppressing weeds, and more.

In this article, we’ll explore some of the best choices for ground cover with white flowers. Whether you need something for sun or shade, there are plenty of easy-care plants that will quickly spread to form a lush carpet covered in snowy blossoms.

Why Choose White Flowering Ground Cover

Here are some of the benefits of using ground cover plants with white blooms

• Curb appeal – A blanket of white flowers is instantly eye-catching. It provides a clean bright look compared to grass alone.

• Weed control – Low-growing ground cover crowds out weed growth. This reduces maintenance and the need for herbicides.

• Erosion prevention – The foliage and roots of ground covers hold soil in place on slopes, preventing washouts.

• Difficult areas – Ground covers thrive where turfgrass struggles, like shady spots and areas with poor drainage.

• Pollinators – Butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds are attracted to the nectar-rich blooms of many white flowering ground covers.

• Long bloom time – Many varieties flower for weeks or months, extending the visual appeal.

• Versatility – White ground covers come in many heights, textures, and growth habits to suit diverse needs.

Best White Flowering Ground Covers for Sunny Areas

Full sun is defined as at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily. Here are excellent ground covers for sunny spots:

White Flowering Candytuft

Candytuft (Iberis sempervirens) is an evergreen perennial that produces clusters of bright white blooms in spring against dark green, elongated leaves. The flowers have a sweet fragrance that attracts pollinators. This adaptable plant thrives in average to poor soil. Candytuft spreads 12-18 inches wide.

Daisy Fleabane

A North American wildflower, daisy fleabane (Erigeron speciosus) has tiny white daisies with yellow centers dotting its fine foliage from June to September. It grows just 6-12 inches tall and spreads 24 inches wide. This drought-tolerant ground cover does best in poor to average soil.

White Rock Cress

Also called Aubrieta, white rock cress (Aubrieta deltoidea) bursts into flower in spring with clusters of showy white blooms. Its gray-green foliage forms a dense mat reaching 3-6 inches tall and up to 2 feet wide. White rock cress thrives in rocky, well-drained soil and is also drought tolerant once established.

Creeping Phlox

For stunning spring color, creeping phlox (Phlox subulata) is a top pick. The needle-like evergreen foliage is covered in white, pink, blue, or purple flowers in early spring. Phlox does best in slightly alkaline soil and spreads rapidly to an average width of 1-2 feet. It grows just 4-6 inches tall.

Best White Flowering Ground Covers for Shady Areas

While shade is defined as less than 3 hours of direct sun per day, these plants also tolerate partial shade conditions.

Sweet Woodruff

A classic shade garden plant, sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum) produces clusters of tiny white star-shaped flowers in spring above bright green whorled leaves. It spreads quickly by underground rhizomes to form a weed-suppressing carpet under trees and shrubs. Sweet woodruff grows 6-12 inches tall.

Dead Nettle

Also called lamium, dead nettle (Lamium maculatum) thrives in shade. The variety ‘White Nancy’ has silvery green foliage marked with white and prolific white blooms in late spring. It spreads by stolons and rhizomes, reaching 8-10 inches tall and 2 feet wide.

Green and Gold

Green and gold (Chrysogonum virginianum) is a Southern favorite, featuring golden triangular leaves and yellow-centered white flowers from spring to fall. It grows 6 inches tall and spreads by stolons and rhizomes to 2 feet wide. Green and gold does best in organically rich, moist soil.

Foamflower

Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia) handles deep shade with ease. Its trailing stolons allow it to spread readily. It has handsome maple-shaped green leaves and frothy spikes of small white flowers in late spring. Foamflower grows 6-12 inches tall and can spread 1-2 feet wide at maturity.

Bishop’s Weed

Despite its aggressive spreading habit, bishop’s weed (Aegopodium podagraria) is an excellent ground cover for deep shade. It produces pretty umbels of white flowers in early summer. The leaf color ranges from green to variegated depending on variety. Height ranges from 8-20 inches.

More Great Options for White Flowering Ground Covers

Here are a few more top choices that can work in sun or partial shade:

• White creeping thyme – Fragrant white blooms; evergreen foliage

• Snow-in-summer – Covered in tiny white flowers in spring

• Periwinkle – Glossy evergreen leaves; white pinwheel blooms

• White violets – Dainty white blooms; heart-shaped leaves

• White clover – Prolific white bloomer; stays short

Tips for Growing White Flowering Ground Covers

Here are a few tips to help your white-blooming ground covers thrive:

• Check site conditions and choose plants suited for sun/shade and soil moisture.

• Improve soil with compost or top dressing to encourage healthy spreading.

• Water first year plants regularly until established. Mature plants are often drought tolerant.

• Mulch around plants to conserve moisture and suppress weeds.

• Prune or shear plants lightly after bloom to encourage dense growth.

• Remove dead growth and flower stems to maintain a tidy appearance.

• Control aggressive spreaders like bishop’s weed by removing root sprouts.

Time to Add White Flowering Ground Cover to Your Landscape!

Now that you know some of the best options for white-blooming ground cover plants, it’s time to put them to work in your own yard. They provide endless design possibilities, serving both aesthetic and practical purposes. With minimal care, they’ll give you a carpet of elegant white flowers to enjoy year after year. Give white ground covers a try – your landscape will thank you!