Foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia
Weaves a 6–12 in-tall mat 1–2 ft across to blanket bare ground, happy in loam soil, and it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Oklahoma · Zones 6–8
Native Groundcover Plants in Oklahoma
Low, spreading natives that knit together to cover bare ground, smother weeds, and replace thirsty lawn or mulch. Oklahoma sits in a landscape of Cross Timbers & mixedgrass prairie, and the natives that thrive here are the ones built for its continental, hot summers character. The list below — led by Foamflower and Wild Geranium — is filtered to species genuinely native to Oklahoma and the wider flora of the Great Plains and hardy through zones 6–8. 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 Oklahoma
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 6–8 · see this collection in other states.
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
A low 1.5–2 ft-tall carpet that closes ranks 1.5–2 ft wide and shades out weeds; it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Prairie Smoke
Geum triflorum
A mat-forming native, 6–16 in tall and 12–18 in wide, that fills in and crowds out weeds; it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 6–16 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Woodland Phlox
Phlox divaricata
Knits across the ground 12–18 in wide and just 10–15 in tall, no mowing needed — it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 10–15 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Settles in as a weed-suppressing carpet 1.5–2 ft wide, no taller than 1.5–3 ft, and it blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Runs 5–10 ft wide and stays ankle-low at 2–6 ft, holding soil where lawn won't — it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Knits across the ground 10–20 ft wide and just 30–50 ft tall, no mowing needed, flowering as it flowers in Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Creeping Phlox
Phlox subulata
A living mulch at 4–8 in tall, fanning 1.5–2 ft wide to cover soil and block weeds; it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Wild Ginger
Asarum canadense
Weaves a 4–8 in-tall mat 12–18 in across to blanket bare ground, cold-hardy to zone 3, flowering as it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Blue Grama
Bouteloua gracilis
A low 8–20 in-tall carpet that closes ranks 8–16 in wide and shades out weeds, and it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 8–20 in
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Pennsylvania Sedge
Carex pensylvanica
A living mulch at 6–12 in tall, fanning 1–2 ft wide to cover soil and block weeds.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 6–12 in
- Foliage
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
Spreads low — 2–3 ft tall, 2–3 ft wide — to knit bare ground and smother weeds.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Fall color
Christmas Fern
Polystichum acrostichoides
A low 1–2 ft-tall carpet that closes ranks 1.5–2.5 ft wide and shades out weeds.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2 ft
- Evergreen
Sourcing
Where to find these in Oklahoma
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.