The Best Groundcovers to Use as Gapfillers

When designing a garden or landscape, one common challenge is filling gaps between larger plants, shrubs, or trees. These empty spaces can look unfinished or uninviting if left bare. Groundcovers are an excellent solution to this problem. They help suppress weeds, reduce soil erosion, and add texture and color to the garden floor. Choosing the right groundcover for your specific needs depends on factors such as climate, soil type, sun exposure, and maintenance preferences.

In this article, we will explore some of the best groundcovers to use as gapfillers, highlighting their characteristics, growing conditions, and benefits.

Why Use Groundcovers as Gapfillers?

Groundcovers serve multiple purposes in a garden or landscape:

• Aesthetic appeal: They create a lush carpet that visually connects different sections of the garden.
• Weed suppression: Dense growth shades out weeds, reducing maintenance.
• Soil protection: Covering bare soil helps prevent erosion from wind and rain.
• Moisture retention: Groundcovers help keep soil moist by shading it from direct sunlight.
• Wildlife habitat: Some groundcovers provide shelter and food for pollinators and beneficial insects.

By using groundcovers to fill gaps, gardeners can achieve a more cohesive and balanced landscape design while enjoying these practical benefits.

Factors to Consider When Choosing Groundcovers

Before selecting a groundcover for gapfilling, consider the following factors:

Sunlight Exposure

Different plants thrive under varying light conditions—full sun, partial shade, or full shade. Choosing a groundcover compatible with the available sunlight ensures healthy growth.

Soil Type and Drainage

Some groundcovers prefer well-drained sandy soils, while others tolerate heavier clay soils or wet conditions. Knowing your soil type helps narrow down options.

Climate and Hardiness

Select plants that can survive your region’s temperature extremes and climatic conditions.

Growth Habit

Groundcovers vary in height, spread rate, and texture. Some form dense mats; others grow more loosely with trailing stems. For tightly filling gaps quickly, fast-spreading mat-forming species are ideal.

Maintenance Level

Consider how much pruning, watering, or fertilizing you’re willing to do. Some groundcovers are low-maintenance; others require regular upkeep.

Potential Invasiveness

Avoid aggressive species that may overrun your garden or natural areas unless properly managed.

With these considerations in mind, let’s explore some of the best groundcovers that work beautifully as gapfillers.

1. Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum)

Overview

Creeping thyme is a fragrant herbaceous perennial that forms a dense mat 2–4 inches tall. It produces tiny purple-pink flowers in summer that attract pollinators like bees and butterflies.

Growing Conditions

• Sunlight: Full sun
• Soil: Well-drained sandy or loamy soils
• Hardiness Zones: 4–9
• Maintenance: Low; drought-tolerant once established

Benefits as a Gapfiller

Creeping thyme is ideal for sunny spots where other plants struggle due to heat. Its low-growing habit fills in gaps nicely without blocking views of taller plants. The aromatic foliage releases a pleasant scent when walked upon. Additionally, its flowers support pollinators crucial for a healthy garden ecosystem.

2. Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum)

Overview

Sweet woodruff is a shade-loving perennial groundcover with whorled leaves and small white star-shaped flowers in spring. It has a gentle vanilla scent when dried.

Growing Conditions

• Sunlight: Partial to full shade
• Soil: Moist but well-drained humus-rich soil
• Hardiness Zones: 4–8
• Maintenance: Low; can spread aggressively in ideal conditions

Benefits as a Gapfiller

Sweet woodruff thrives in shady spots under trees where grass struggles to grow. Its spreading habit quickly fills bare patches while providing seasonal interest with delicate flowers. It’s suitable for woodland gardens or shaded borders needing soft green coverage.

3. Ajuga (Ajuga reptans)

Overview

Also known as bugleweed, ajuga is a vigorous evergreen perennial with glossy dark green to purple leaves forming rosettes close to the ground. It produces spikes of blue flowers in spring.

Growing Conditions

• Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade
• Soil: Moist but well-drained soils
• Hardiness Zones: 3–10
• Maintenance: Moderate; can spread rapidly via runners

Benefits as a Gapfiller

Ajuga’s dense foliage smothers weeds efficiently while its flower spikes add vertical interest amid low growth. It tolerates a range of light conditions but prefers some shade in hot climates. This makes it versatile for filling gaps around shrubs or along pathways.

4. Blue Star Creeper (Isotoma fluviatilis)

Overview

Blue star creeper is a low-growing perennial that forms a tight green carpet covered with tiny pale blue star-shaped flowers during warmer months.

Growing Conditions

• Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade
• Soil: Moist but well-drained soils
• Hardiness Zones: 5–9
• Maintenance: Low; requires occasional trimming to keep tidy

Benefits as a Gapfiller

This plant works well between stepping stones or filling narrow spaces between larger perennials where you want continuous green coverage with seasonal blooms. Its compact growth habit prevents weed invasion effectively without becoming invasive itself.

5. Irish Moss (Sagina subulata)

Overview

Despite its name, Irish moss is not true moss but rather a lush evergreen perennial forming cushions resembling moss mats with tiny white flowers in spring.

Growing Conditions

• Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade
• Soil: Well-drained sandy or loamy soils
• Hardiness Zones: 4–9
• Maintenance: Low; occasional trimming helps maintain shape

Benefits as a Gapfiller

Irish moss fills gaps with its soft cushiony texture that adds contrast among rougher foliage plants or stones. It tolerates light foot traffic better than true mosses making it ideal for edging paths or patios while softening hardscapes visually.

6. Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia)

Overview

Creeping jenny is a fast-growing perennial with round yellow-green leaves forming trailing mats that cascade over edges beautifully.

Growing Conditions

• Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade
• Soil: Moist but well-drained soils; tolerates wet areas
• Hardiness Zones: 3–9
• Maintenance: Moderate; can be invasive if unchecked

Benefits as a Gapfiller

This bright foliage plant adds vibrant color contrast to dull landscapes and works well near water features or damp spots where other groundcovers might struggle. Its rapid growth quickly closes gaps between plants but requires monitoring to prevent unwanted spread.

7. Lamium (Lamium maculatum)

Overview

Lamium is an evergreen perennial with variegated silver-and-green leaves and tubular pink, purple, or white flowers appearing late spring through summer.

Growing Conditions

• Sunlight: Partial shade; tolerates full shade better than full sun
• Soil: Well-drained moist soils rich in organic matter
• Hardiness Zones: 3–8
• Maintenance: Low; deer resistant and drought tolerant once established

Benefits as a Gapfiller

Lamium’s attractive foliage combined with colorful blooms brighten shady areas under trees or along north-facing borders where many plants fail to thrive well enough to cover gaps effectively.

8. Vinca Minor (Lesser Periwinkle)

Overview

Vinca minor is an evergreen trailing vine with glossy dark green leaves and violet-blue flowers blooming mainly in spring but occasionally year-round in mild climates.

Growing Conditions

• Sunlight: Full sun to full shade
• Soil: Well-drained soil preferring slightly acidic conditions
• Hardiness Zones: 4–9
• Maintenance: Moderate; can be aggressive if not controlled

Benefits as a Gapfiller

Its vigorous spreading habit quickly fills empty spaces creating dense mats that suppress weeds efficiently while providing attractive blooms early in the season enhancing visual appeal between larger shrubs or trees.

Conclusion

Gapfilling groundcovers are vital components for functional and beautiful landscapes. Selecting the right species based on your site’s conditions ensures rapid coverage that minimizes weeds while enhancing garden aesthetics year-round.

Whether you need sun-loving creepers like creeping thyme or shade-tolerant charmers like sweet woodruff and lamium, there are plenty of excellent groundcover options available to suit various environments and design goals.

By integrating these effective gapfillers into your planting scheme, you can achieve lush continuous layers of greenery that tie your garden together seamlessly with minimal effort—creating inviting outdoor spaces filled with texture, color, and life.