Not very many people are aware of the many attractive ground
cover substitutes for Kentucky bluegrass. The following alternatives
use considerably less water than lawns, require less maintenance
(little or no mowing), and provide an attractive flower show
when they bloom. The following list of turf substitutes is
designed to get you started. Additional research may be needed
to determine if any of these are right for you.
| Achillea (Yarrow) |
at least a couple mat forming varieties,
white or yellow flowers |
| Aegopodium (Bishop's Weed) |
shade tolerant with white umbel-like flowers |
| Antennaria (Dwarf Pussy Toes) |
small flowers, attractive vegetation |
| Artemesia (curlicue sage) |
frothy, curled, silver foliage about 8
inches deep |
| Bellium (Mat Daisy) |
shade-tolerant, white flowers, blooms spring
through summer |
| Cerastium (Snow in Summer) |
6 inches deep with white flowers |
| Ceratostigma (Plumbago) |
shade-tolerant, deep blue flowers, mahogany-red
fall foliage |
| Chasmatophyllum |
succulent, bright yellow flowers |
| Delosperma (Hardy Ice Plant) |
flowers are fuschia-purple and blooms all
summer |
| Eriogonum (Buckwheat) |
tight to loose mats, flowers white, yellow,
or red |
| Helianthemum (Rock Rose) |
4 varieties; pink, yellow, red, and orange
flowers |
| Lamium (Dead Nettle) |
shade-tolerant, yellow flowers |
| Marrubium (Horehound) |
small flower, attractive vegetation |
| Penstemon (Beardstongue) |
interesting mat-forming variety |
| Phlox |
tight, low mats and a variety of flower
colors |
| Symphytum (Comfrey) |
shade-tolerant, clear blue nodding flowers |
| Tanacetum (Tansy) |
silver-white leaves, yellow button flowers |
| Thymus (Thyme) |
at least 5 varieties, flowers range from
white to purple |
| Veronica |
at least 2 varieties, blue
flowers |
| Vinca (Periwinkle) |
shade-tolerant evergreen with blue flowers |
