What is the best evergreen groundcover to suppress weeds?

Vinca, Pachysandra, Geranium macrorrhizum and low Cotoneaster knit into a dense weed-smothering mat; clear perennial weeds fully before planting.

How do I stop weeds growing through groundcover?

Remove all perennial weeds before planting, then mulch the bare gaps between young plants until they knit together, which is when the cover starts doing the work.

Border Builder

Evergreen groundcover plants

Low, spreading evergreens that cover ground and suppress weeds.

Evergreen groundcover is the quiet solution to bare soil, weedy gaps and awkward slopes: a living mat that suppresses weeds, holds moisture and keeps the ground furnished all year. The work is in the establishment. Bare soil between young plants is the weed's opportunity, so clear perennial weeds completely first, plant at the right spacing to knit together within a season or two, and mulch the gaps until they close. Match the plant to the site, since some spreaders bake in sun while others rot in damp or scorch in shade. Once joined up, they need little beyond a tidy. The plants below are low, spreading evergreens that root and weave into a dense, weed-smothering carpet, with options for sun, shade and dry or moist ground.

Border Builder is a garden border planner for iPhone and iPad. Pick from the 123 plants below and it works them into a full plan: how many of each, where they go, and how the bed reads through the seasons.

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Common questions

What is the best evergreen groundcover to suppress weeds?: Vinca, Pachysandra, Geranium macrorrhizum and low Cotoneaster knit into a dense weed-smothering mat; clear perennial weeds fully before planting.
How do I stop weeds growing through groundcover?: Remove all perennial weeds before planting, then mulch the bare gaps between young plants until they knit together, which is when the cover starts doing the work.

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Evergreen plants Evergreen shrubs Evergreen plants for shade Evergreen shrubs for shade