Woodland Phlox
Phlox divaricata
Knits across the ground 12–18 in wide and just 10–15 in tall, no mowing needed, and it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 10–15 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Alabama · Zones 7–9
Native Groundcover Plants in Alabama
Low, spreading natives that knit together to cover bare ground, smother weeds, and replace thirsty lawn or mulch. Alabama sits in a landscape of Gulf Coastal Plain & Cumberland Plateau, and the natives that thrive here are the ones built for its hot, humid subtropical character. The list below — led by Woodland Phlox and Wild Geranium — is filtered to species genuinely native to Alabama and the wider flora of the Southeast and hardy through zones 7–9. A living native groundcover does everything mulch does and then keeps doing it for free — covering soil, blocking weeds, and feeding wildlife as it goes. Match the spreader to the site (sun or shade, wet or dry), plant on tight centers so they close ranks in a season or two, and weed faithfully that first year while they fill in.
The plants
10 native species for Alabama
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 7–9 · see this collection in other states.
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
Knits across the ground 1.5–2 ft wide and just 1.5–2 ft tall, no mowing needed — it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia
A low 6–12 in-tall carpet that closes ranks 1–2 ft wide and shades out weeds, flowering as it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Spreads low — 1.5–3 ft tall, 1.5–2 ft wide — to knit bare ground and smother weeds, and it blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Creeping Phlox
Phlox subulata
A mat-forming native, 4–8 in tall and 1.5–2 ft wide, that fills in and crowds out weeds; it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Wild Ginger
Asarum canadense
Knits across the ground 12–18 in wide and just 4–8 in tall, no mowing needed, and it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Settles in as a weed-suppressing carpet 5–10 ft wide, no taller than 2–6 ft, flowering as it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
A mat-forming native, 30–50 ft tall and 10–20 ft wide, that fills in and crowds out weeds, and it flowers in Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Pennsylvania Sedge
Carex pensylvanica
A living mulch at 6–12 in tall, fanning 1–2 ft wide to cover soil and block weeds.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 6–12 in
- Foliage
Christmas Fern
Polystichum acrostichoides
A low 1–2 ft-tall carpet that closes ranks 1.5–2.5 ft wide and shades out weeds.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2 ft
- Evergreen
Sourcing
Where to find these in Alabama
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.