Ground cover plants can prevent soil erosion and add style to your yard. Some ground cover plants can even survive and thrive in shady garden locations.
So, what are some white ground cover plants? White ground cover plants include: Bloodroot, Ceriman, Hosta, Lamb’s Ears, Lily of the Valley, Spearmint, Spider Plant, Sweet Woodruff, Yarrow, and Zinnia. Some of these plants have attractive foliage or unique flowers to add style to your garden.
Of course, some of these plants prefer full sun, while others tolerate partial or full shade.
In this article, we’ll talk about 10 white ground cover plants. We’ll also take a look at what they need for light, water, and other important growth factors.
Let’s get going.
10 White Ground Cover Plants
There are plenty of white ground cover plants, but here are 10 to start with:
- Bloodroot
- Ceriman
- Hosta
- Lamb’s Ears
- Lily of the Valley
- Spearmint
- Spider Plant
- Sweet Woodruff
- Yarrow
- Zinnia
Let’s start off with Bloodroot.
Bloodroot
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) is a perennial ground cover herb that produces white flowers in late winter or early spring.
Bloodroot needs moderate moisture. It needs good drainage in a container. Too much water will cause root rot and eventually kill the plant.
Bloodroot prefers partial or full shade. It prefers acidic soil (pH of 5.5 to 6.5).
Bloodroot can tolerate extreme cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 3 (as cold as -40 degrees Fahrenheit or –40 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 12 to 14 inches, with a width of 3 to 6 inches.
You can propagate Bloodroot by division.
You can learn more about Bloodroot from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Bloodroot from Perennial Nursery Company.
Ceriman
Ceriman (Monstera deliciosa) is a perennial ground cover herb that produces showy white flowers. It is epiphytic, meaning that it climbs up other plants (trees) as it grows.
Ceriman needs moderate moisture. It needs good drainage in a container. Too much water will cause root rot and eventually kill the plant.
Ceriman prefers partial or full shade. It prefers acidic soil (pH of 5.5 to 6.0).
Ceriman cannot tolerate cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 10a (as cold as 30 degrees Fahrenheit or 1 degree Celsius).
This plant can grow to a height of 75 feet or higher!
You can propagate Ceriman by stem cuttings.
You can learn more about Ceriman from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Ceriman from Plantvine.
You can also learn more about Monstera in my article here, and Monstera Thai Constellation (which has interesting leaf coloring) in my article here.
Hosta
Hosta is a perennial ground cover herb that produces fragrant white flowers in summer or early fall.
Hosta needs moderate moisture. It needs good drainage in a container. Too much water will cause root rot and eventually kill the plant.
Hosta prefers partial shade. It prefers neutral soil (pH of 6.5 to 7.5).
Hosta can tolerate extreme cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 3 (as cold as -40 degrees Fahrenheit or -40 degrees Celsius).
This plant can grow to a height of 10 to 18 inches, with a width of 36 to 48 inches.
You can propagate Hosta by division, but it will not grow true from seed.
You can learn more about Hosta from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Hosta from Spring Hill Nursery.
Lamb’s Ears
Lamb’s Ears (Stachys byzantia) is a perennial ground cover herb that produces white or pink flowers in spring, summer, or early fall.
Lamb’s Ears needs moderate to dry moisture levels, and can be used in xeriscaping. It needs good drainage in a container. Too much water will cause root rot and eventually kill the plant.
Lamb’s Ears prefers full sun, but it can tolerate partial shade. It prefers slightly acidic soil (pH of 6.0 to 6.5).
Lamb’s Ears can tolerate extreme cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 4a (as cold as -30 degrees Fahrenheit or -34 degrees Celsius).
This plant can grow to a height of 18 inches, with a width of 24 inches.
You can propagate Lamb’s Ears by division or by seed.
You can learn more about Lamb’s Ears from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Lamb’s Ears from Wilson Bros Gardens.
Lily Of The Valley
Lily Of The Valley (Convallaria majalis) is a perennial ground cover herb that produces tiny (less than 1 inch) white flowers in spring.
Lily Of The Valley tolerates wet or dry moisture levels. It can help to prevent soil erosion.
Lily Of The Valley prefers partial or full shade. It prefers acidic to neutral soil (pH of 5.0 to 7.0).
Lily Of The Valley can tolerate extreme cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 2 (as cold as -50 degrees Fahrenheit or -46 degrees Celsius).
This plant can grow to a height of 6 to 12 inches, with a width of 9 to 12 inches.
You can propagate Lily Of The Valley by division or by seed.
You can learn more about Lily Of The Valley from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Lily Of The Valley from Native Wildflowers Nursery.
Spearmint
Spearmint (Mentha spicata) is a perennial ground cover herb that produces small (1 to 2 inch) fragrant white or pink flowers in late spring, summer, or early fall.
Spearmint needs moderate moisture levels.
Spearmint prefers full sun, but it can survive in partial shade. It prefers acidic to neutral soil (pH of 6.0 to 7.5).
Spearmint can tolerate extreme cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 5 (as cold as -20 degrees Fahrenheit or -29 degrees Celsius).
This plant can grow to a height of 24 to 36 inches.
You can propagate Spearmint by division or stolons and runners.
You can learn more about Spearmint from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Spearmint from Mountain Valley Growers.
Spider Plant
Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum) is a perennial ground cover grass that produces tiny (less than 1 inch) white flowers in late spring or summer.
Spider Plant needs moderate moisture levels and can tolerate humidity. Too much water will cause root rot and damage the plant.
Spider Plant is versatile and can survive light conditions from full sun to full shade. It prefers acidic to neutral soil (pH of 6.0 to 7.2).
Spider Plant can tolerate some cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 8b (as cold as 15 degrees Fahrenheit or -9 degrees Celsius).
This plant can grow to a height of 12 to 14 inches.
You can propagate Spider Plant by division, offsets, or stolons and runners.
You can learn more about Spider Plant from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Spider Plant from Garden Goods Direct.
Sweet Woodruff
Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum) is a perennial ground cover herb that produces tiny (less than 1 inch) white flowers in spring or early summer.
Sweet Woodruff needs moderate to dry moisture levels and resists deer. Too much water will cause root rot and damage the plant.
Sweet Woodruff prefers partial shade. It can tolerate a range of acidic or alkaline soil (pH of 4.8 to 8.3).
Sweet Woodruff can tolerate extreme cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 4a (as cold as -25 degrees Fahrenheit or -32 degrees Celsius).
This plant can grow to a height of 6 to 12 inches and a width of 18 to 24 inches.
Sweet Woodruff is self-fertile.
You can learn more about Sweet Woodruff from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Sweet Woodruff from Great Garden Plants.
Yarrow
Yarrow (Achilliea millefolium) is a perennial ground cover herb that produces fragrant white or pink flowers in spring or summer.
Yarrow needs moderate to dry moisture levels. Too much water will cause root rot and damage the plant.
Yarrow prefers full sun, but can survive in partial shade. It can tolerate a range of acidic or alkaline soil (pH of 4.0 to 8.0).
Yarrow can tolerate extreme cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 3 (as cold as -35 degrees Fahrenheit or -37 degrees Celsius).
This plant can grow to a height of 24 to 36 inches and a width of 24 to 36 inches.
You can propagate Yarrow by division, offsets, or stolons and runners.
You can learn more about Yarrow from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Yarrow from Wilson Bros Gardens.
Zinnia
Zinnia is a perennial ground cover herb that produces small (1 to 2 inch) white (and other colors!) flowers in summer, fall, or winter.
Zinnia needs moderate to dry moisture levels and can be used for xeriscaping. Too much water will cause root rot and damage the plant.
Zinnia prefers full sun, but can survive in partial shade. It can tolerate acidic to neutral soil (pH of 5.5 to 7.5).
Zinnia can tolerate extreme cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 3 (as cold as -35 degrees Fahrenheit or -37 degrees Celsius).
This plant can grow to a height of 1 to 8 feet and a width of 1 foot.
You can propagate Zinnia by seeds.
You can learn more about Zinnia from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Zinnia from Eden Brothers.
Conclusion
Now you know about 10 white ground cover plants and how to take care of them. They might provide inspiration to help you to improve your landscape while also preventing soil erosion.
If you love white flowers, you might want to check out my article on vines with white flowers.
You might also want to read my article on trees with white flowers and my article on flowering ground cover plants for shade.
For something a little different to plant in a sunny spot in your yard, check out my article on ferns for full sun.
I hope you found this article helpful. If so, please share it with someone who can use the information.
If you want to read some of my most popular posts, check out the “Best of GreenUpSide” page here. Enjoy!
~Jonathon