Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
A living mulch at 1.5–3 ft tall, fanning 1.5–2 ft wide to cover soil and block weeds, flowering as it blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Ohio · Zones 5–7
Native Groundcover Plants in Ohio
Low, spreading natives that knit together to cover bare ground, smother weeds, and replace thirsty lawn or mulch. Every species here is genuinely native to Ohio and the wider flora of the Midwest and hardy through zones 5–7 — proven performers for Ohio's humid continental climate across Eastern Corn Belt & Allegheny Plateau, not a generic list. Local standouts include Common Yarrow and Woodland Phlox. A living native groundcover does everything mulch does and then keeps doing it for free — covering soil, blocking weeds, and feeding wildlife as it goes. Match the spreader to the site (sun or shade, wet or dry), plant on tight centers so they close ranks in a season or two, and weed faithfully that first year while they fill in.
The plants
13 native species for Ohio
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–7 · see this collection in other states.
Woodland Phlox
Phlox divaricata
Settles in as a weed-suppressing carpet 12–18 in wide, no taller than 10–15 in — it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 10–15 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia
A low 6–12 in-tall carpet that closes ranks 1–2 ft wide and shades out weeds; it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Prairie Smoke
Geum triflorum
Weaves a 6–16 in-tall mat 12–18 in across to blanket bare ground, hardy in zones 3–7, flowering as it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 6–16 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
Spreads low — 1.5–2 ft tall, 1.5–2 ft wide — to knit bare ground and smother weeds, flowering as it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Wild Ginger
Asarum canadense
Spreads low — 4–8 in tall, 12–18 in wide — to knit bare ground and smother weeds, flowering as it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
A living mulch at 2–6 ft tall, fanning 5–10 ft wide to cover soil and block weeds — it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Creeping Phlox
Phlox subulata
Spreads low — 4–8 in tall, 1.5–2 ft wide — to knit bare ground and smother weeds — it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Bearberry
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
A mat-forming native, 4–8 in tall and 3–6 ft wide, that fills in and crowds out weeds, and it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Weaves a 30–50 ft-tall mat 10–20 ft across to blanket bare ground, happy in clay, rocky, and loam soil, and it flowers in Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
A living mulch at 2–3 ft tall, fanning 2–3 ft wide to cover soil and block weeds.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Fall color
Pennsylvania Sedge
Carex pensylvanica
Knits across the ground 1–2 ft wide and just 6–12 in tall, no mowing needed.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 6–12 in
- Foliage
Christmas Fern
Polystichum acrostichoides
A living mulch at 1–2 ft tall, fanning 1.5–2.5 ft wide to cover soil and block weeds.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2 ft
- Evergreen
Sourcing
Where to find these in Ohio
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.