Woodland Phlox
Phlox divaricata
Runs 12–18 in wide and stays ankle-low at 10–15 in, holding soil where lawn won't — it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 10–15 in
- Blooms Apr–May
New York · Zones 3–7
Native Groundcover Plants in New York
Low, spreading natives that knit together to cover bare ground, smother weeds, and replace thirsty lawn or mulch. New York sits in a landscape of Adirondacks, Finger Lakes & Hudson Valley, and the natives that thrive here are the ones built for its humid continental character. The list below — led by Woodland Phlox and Wild Geranium — is filtered to species genuinely native to New York and the wider flora of the Northeast and hardy through zones 3–7. 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
13 native species for New York
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 3–7 · 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
Settles in as a weed-suppressing carpet 1–2 ft wide, no taller than 6–12 in, and 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 — it blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Prairie Smoke
Geum triflorum
Spreads low — 6–16 in tall, 12–18 in wide — to knit bare ground and smother weeds; it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 6–16 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
A living mulch at 2–6 ft tall, fanning 5–10 ft wide to cover soil and block weeds, flowering as it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Creeping Phlox
Phlox subulata
Weaves a 4–8 in-tall mat 1.5–2 ft across to blanket bare ground, hardy in zones 3–9 — it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Runs 10–20 ft wide and stays ankle-low at 30–50 ft, holding soil where lawn won't — it flowers in Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Wild Ginger
Asarum canadense
Weaves a 4–8 in-tall mat 12–18 in across to blanket bare ground, happy in loam soil — it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Bearberry
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Weaves a 4–8 in-tall mat 3–6 ft across to blanket bare ground, happy in sand and rocky soil; it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
Runs 2–3 ft wide and stays ankle-low at 2–3 ft, holding soil where lawn won't.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Fall color
Christmas Fern
Polystichum acrostichoides
Settles in as a weed-suppressing carpet 1.5–2.5 ft wide, no taller than 1–2 ft.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2 ft
- Evergreen
Pennsylvania Sedge
Carex pensylvanica
Knits across the ground 1–2 ft wide and just 6–12 in tall, no mowing needed.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 6–12 in
- Foliage
Sourcing
Where to find these in New York
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.