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Wyoming · Zones 3–5

Native Groundcover Plants in Wyoming

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 Wyoming and the wider flora of the Mountain West and hardy through zones 3–5 — proven performers for Wyoming's cold, semi-arid, high elevation climate across Rocky Mountain montane & sagebrush steppe, not a generic list. Local standouts include Common Yarrow and Prairie Smoke. 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

7 native species for Wyoming

Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 3–5 · see this collection in other states.

Perennial wildflower

Common Yarrow

Achillea millefolium

Spreads low — 1.5–3 ft tall, 1.5–2 ft wide — to knit bare ground and smother weeds, and it blooms May through Aug.

  • Full sun
  • Dry–average
  • 1.5–3 ft
  • Blooms May–Aug
Perennial wildflower

Prairie Smoke

Geum triflorum

Knits across the ground 12–18 in wide and just 6–16 in tall, no mowing needed, flowering as it flowers in Apr and May.

  • Full–part sun
  • Dry
  • 6–16 in
  • Blooms Apr–May
Ornamental grass

Blue Grama

Bouteloua gracilis

A living mulch at 8–20 in tall, fanning 8–16 in wide to cover soil and block weeds, and it blooms Jun through Aug.

  • Full sun
  • Dry
  • 8–20 in
  • Blooms Jun–Aug
Evergreen groundcover

Bearberry

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

A mat-forming native, 4–8 in tall and 3–6 ft wide, that fills in and crowds out weeds, flowering as it flowers in Apr and May.

  • Full–part sun
  • Dry
  • 4–8 in
  • Blooms Apr–May
Vine

Virginia Creeper

Parthenocissus quinquefolia

Carpets bare soil 10–20 ft wide to replace thirsty lawn or mulch, inconspicuous green flowers, flowering as it flowers in Jun.

  • Sun to shade
  • Dry–average
  • 30–50 ft
  • Blooms Jun
Shrub

Fragrant Sumac

Rhus aromatica

A living mulch at 2–6 ft tall, fanning 5–10 ft wide to cover soil and block weeds, flowering as it flowers in Mar and Apr.

  • Full–part sun
  • Dry
  • 2–6 ft
  • Blooms Mar–Apr
Ornamental grass

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
Sourcing

Where to find these in Wyoming

Seeds & live plants on Amazon

Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.

Browse on Amazon

Some 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.