Looking to brighten up your garden beds? White-flowering ground covers are a fantastic way to add light and contrast to your landscape. Here’s a breakdown of some of my favorite varieties and how to find the perfect match for your yard.
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++Wood Anemone (Anemone nemorosa)
The Wood Anemone looks delicate, but that’s exactly what makes it so charming. If you give it the right spot, it spreads beautifully and can serve as a reliable ground cover for years. It’s a perfect choice for underplanting deciduous trees. Since it starts blooming as early as March, it’s one of the first plants to wake up your garden in the spring. Just make sure the soil stays moist during the spring growing season; it doesn’t mind drying out a bit once summer hits.
++White Stonecrop (Sedum album)
Sedum is a tried-and-true favorite for anyone wanting a low-maintenance, bee-friendly garden. The “White Stonecrop” variety is a stellar ground cover option. From June through August, it’s covered in countless tiny white flowers that provide a feast for local wild bees. You can plant this hardy succulent in full sun or partial shade—it’s not picky!
++Roman Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile)
If you love a timeless, classic look, Roman Chamomile is the way to go. Once it gets established, it forms a dense, carpet-like mat about 8 inches tall, covered in cheerful white blooms. The main thing to remember is that it hates “wet feet”—standing water or soggy soil is a no-go. It thrives in drier spots and is incredibly easy to care for once it finds its groove.
++Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum)
Sweet Woodruff is a lovely choice for a white-flowering ground cover, provided you have the right “woodland” conditions. As the name suggests, it naturally grows in forests, so it can’t handle the harsh midday sun. It loves shade or partial shade and rich, humic soil. This makes it a go-to for those tricky dark corners of the garden. During its blooming season, it produces dainty white flowers and gives off a wonderful, sweet fragrance.
++Snowbank Aster (Aster pansus)
Searching for a ground cover that really packs a punch with its blooms? The Snowbank Aster (or Carpet Aster) might be your new best friend. It creates a literal carpet of white composite flowers from September to October. To get that massive flower show, make sure it’s in a sunny spot with nutrient-rich soil. If your soil is a bit lean, don’t be afraid to use some fertilizer to keep it happy.
++Irish Moss (Sagina subulata)
Don’t let the name fool you—while it looks like moss, it’s actually a flowering perennial. Irish Moss is fantastic for creating a very dense, low-to-the-ground green carpet. When it blooms, it’s dotted with tiny, star-shaped white flowers that look absolutely magical against the green foliage. It’s a favorite for rock gardens and is often used for cemetery plantings because of its neat, serene appearance.
++Mountain Sandwort (Arenaria montana)
Mountain Sandwort is a dense, mounding perennial that looks much more fragile than it actually is. Don’t be fooled by its dainty appearance—this plant is tough as nails and very cold-hardy. From May to June, it produces stunning, snow-white blossoms. While it prefers a sunny spot, it can handle partial shade as long as it gets at least three hours of direct sunlight a day.