15 Purple Ground Covers You May Consider Planting In Your Yard

Purple ground covers can add a stunning splash of color to any yard. I love how they create a rich, vibrant carpet that brightens up garden beds and borders. Planting them now gives your outdoor space a pop of beauty all season long.

Many varieties are low-maintenance, making them both pretty and practical. Watching these purples spread and thrive brings a satisfying touch of elegance to the garden.

1. Creeping Thyme

Ever walked on a fragrant carpet? That’s the experience with this aromatic ground cover. The tiny purple blooms appear in summer, creating a sea of lavender-like color.

Drought-tolerant and tough enough for foot traffic, it thrives in sunny spots between stepping stones. Bees absolutely love it too!

2. Ajuga

Also known as bugleweed, this fast-spreading perennial creates a dense mat of glossy leaves with striking purple-blue flower spikes. The foliage often has burgundy or chocolate tones that complement the blooms.

Perfect for shady areas where grass struggles, ajuga stays compact while choking out weeds effectively. It’s practically maintenance-free once established.

3. Purple Mazus

Imagine a living carpet that erupts with orchid-like blooms each spring. Mazus reptans ‘Purple’ forms a dense, weed-suppressing mat only 2 inches tall but spreads generously.

Between flowering periods, the bright green foliage remains attractive and tidy. Hardy in zones 5-8, it performs beautifully in partial shade to full sun.

4. Verbena

Sun-loving and drought-resistant, trailing verbena cascades beautifully over walls or across flat surfaces. The clusters of tiny purple flowers bloom repeatedly from spring through fall with minimal care.

Butterflies flock to these nectar-rich blossoms while deer tend to avoid them. For maximum impact, plant in groups where their spreading habit can shine.

5. Vinca Minor

For those challenging shady spots, periwinkle offers glossy evergreen foliage studded with periwinkle-blue flowers in spring. Once established, it’s remarkably drought-tolerant and carefree.

Growing just 4-6 inches tall, it spreads steadily to form a dense mat that chokes out weeds. The purple-blue blooms create a magical woodland effect under trees.

6. Campanula

Bell-shaped blooms give bellflower its charming character, with varieties like Campanula portenschlagiana creating a purple waterfall effect. The star-shaped flowers appear abundantly in early summer, attracting pollinators.

Many campanulas thrive in rock gardens or spilling over walls. Their compact growth habit makes them perfect for edging beds while suppressing weeds with their dense foliage.

7. Phlox Subulata

Moss phlox creates a stunning spring display with its carpet of vibrant purple blooms. The needle-like evergreen foliage forms a dense mat that effectively smothers weeds year-round.

Thriving in full sun and well-drained soil, it’s perfect for rock gardens or slopes. After flowering, simply trim back lightly to maintain its neat appearance and encourage denser growth.

8. Aubrieta

Rock cress delivers a spectacular spring show with cascades of rich purple flowers completely covering its foliage. The semi-evergreen leaves form a tight cushion that suppresses weeds effectively.

Perfectly suited for rock gardens, wall crevices, or containers. After flowering, a light trim keeps aubrieta compact and may encourage a smaller second bloom in cooler climates.

9. Geranium ‘Rozanne’

Unlike its upright cousins, this hardy geranium spreads into a beautiful weed-suppressing mat with violet-blue flowers featuring white centers. The blooms appear from late spring until frost—an unusually long flowering period.

The deeply-cut foliage turns reddish in fall, adding seasonal interest. Tolerant of partial shade, ‘Rozanne’ performs reliably in various garden conditions while requiring minimal maintenance.

10. Isotoma

Blue star creeper creates a fairy-tale effect with its tiny star-shaped lavender-blue flowers hovering just above emerald foliage. Growing only 2-3 inches tall, it spreads to form a dense mat ideal between stepping stones.

Remarkably tolerant of light foot traffic, this Australian native handles both sun and partial shade. The delicate-looking blooms belie its tough nature and drought tolerance once established.

11. Lamium

Silver-splashed foliage makes this shade-lover stand out even when not in bloom. The hooded purple flowers appear in spring, creating a beautiful contrast against the silvery leaves.

Dead nettle spreads steadily without becoming invasive, making it perfect for woodland gardens. It brightens dark corners while effectively suppressing weeds with its dense growth habit.

12. Lithodora

Intensely blue-purple star-shaped flowers cover this evergreen ground cover from late spring through summer. The narrow, dark green leaves form a dense mat that effectively blocks weeds.

Growing just 6-12 inches tall but spreading to 24 inches wide, lithodora creates significant impact. It performs best in acidic, well-drained soil with protection from afternoon sun in hotter regions.

13. Purple Wintercreeper

Euonymus fortunei ‘Coloratus’ transforms dramatically with the seasons. The green summer foliage takes on rich purple-burgundy tones in winter, providing year-round interest in the landscape.

This versatile evergreen spreads vigorously to cover problem areas and slopes. Once established, it requires almost no maintenance while effectively preventing soil erosion with its dense root system.

14. Sedum Spurium

Drought-tolerant and practically indestructible, this succulent ground cover produces clusters of star-shaped purple-pink flowers in summer. The fleshy leaves often develop burgundy tints, especially in cooler weather.

Perfect for hot, dry spots where other plants struggle. Two-row stonecrop spreads steadily without becoming invasive, creating an attractive, weed-suppressing carpet in sunny locations.

15. Dwarf Morning Glory

Unlike its climbing relatives, Convolvulus sabatius cascades beautifully with lavender-blue flowers from spring until frost. The trailing stems reach just 6-8 inches tall but spread up to 3 feet wide.

The gray-green foliage provides an attractive backdrop for the continuous display of blooms. Drought-tolerant once established, it’s perfect for hanging baskets or spilling over retaining walls.