Manicured lawns are nothing new. As far back as the Middle Ages, wealthy landowners and nobility kept closely shorn lawns as a sign of wealth. In those times, having a large expanse of land devoted only to grass rather than crops signaled prosperity. 

Maintaining that type of lawn required significant time and labor, too, as someone would have to cut it with a hand tool. No gas mowers existed back then. By the 17th century, expansive lawns were central to formal garden design. Open, park-like spaces complemented and accentuated the grandeur of a large estate. 

Fast-forward to the mid-1800s in America. The invention of the lawn mower made an expansive lawn more accessible to middle-class families. This feature, once only available to the wealthy, became a symbol of order and respectability in the suburbs. 

As more and more gardeners move toward sustainable practices, these turf grass lawns lose some of their appeal. Not only do they require a significant time commitment, but they also require considerable chemicals. From fertilizers to herbicides, a manicured lawn is simply not good for the environment. 

Another issue with these manicured lawns is that they don’t support the local ecosystem. In addition to the herbicides and synthetic fertilizers required to keep up with them, they also require regular watering in times of drought. 

In exchange for all the work you put in, there is no real ecological benefit to these lawns. They offer little to no habitat, nectar, or pollen for wildlife, including important pollinators. They deplete your soil over time, limit water infiltration, and outcompete beneficial native plants. 

For many gardeners, the downsides of turf grass outweigh the benefits. Having an expanse of plants that does nothing but waste resources simply isn’t worth it. As a result, more and more homeowners are switching to more sustainable, native options. 

Native fall ground covers conserve resources, require less maintenance, and foster a healthier ecosystem. Replacing your lawn with native ground covers adds both beauty and ecological strength to the garden. Let’s look at some of these beautiful options that you can plant this fall.

Green-and-Gold

Spreading habit stays neat while filling open spots.

Green-and-gold is a charming fall ground cover that is native to the Eastern United States. It performs beautifully in partially shaded areas where turf grass languishes. It’s a low-growing, carpet-forming perennial that suppresses weeds and helps to stabilize soil. The foliage is semi-evergreen and grows about 12 inches tall, and up to two feet tall in ideal conditions. 

Planting this native ground cover in the fall is a great choice, especially in the warmer reaches of its range. The warm soil and cooling air reduce stress and allow the plants to root quickly. In addition to being attractive and useful, green-and-gold produces small yellow flowers that feed pollinators. It has a mild spreading habit, so it’s easy to control.

Kurapia

Quick-spreading habit makes it perfect for open areas.

Kurapia is a pretty, flowering ground cover bred from frogfruit, which is native to the Southern United States. It’s found from the East Coast to the West and everywhere in between. It also spans a large swath of tropical and subtropical climates around the world. Planting kurapia in the fall is a smart way to establish this tough ground cover. 

Sometimes referred to as turkey tangle frogfruit, the native version of this perennial spreads quickly. It forms dense mats that keep weeds to a minimum and blooms beautifully in late summer and fall. Kurapia is no exception. The flowers feed local pollinators in addition to their ornamental appeal. It’s ideal for sunny spaces, but tolerates some shade as well.

Wild Strawberry

Birds flock quickly when berries ripen in clusters.

Wild strawberry is native to the entire U.S., although the exact species varies from one region to another. Fall planting takes advantage of the warm soil and cool air, encouraging strong root development before winter. By spring, your native ground cover will be ready to spread by runners, forming a dense, green carpet. 

Plant this ground cover in sunny or partially shaded areas. It prefers moist soil and good drainage. In spring, wild strawberry produces pretty white blossoms that feed pollinators. The small, sweet, red berries that follow are edible for both people and animals. It attracts birds and is excellent for a wildlife garden space. 

Horseherb

Tough greenery thrives in both sun and shade.

Horseherb is a beautiful ground cover that is native to the southern United States. It’s ideal for fall planting, particularly in warmer zones where the foliage is evergreen. In zones 7 and possibly 8, this is a semi-evergreen plant. It tolerates a wide range of exposure levels from full sun to full shade, but needs more water in sunnier spaces. 

In summer, partridgeberry produces fragrant white flowers. Pollinated by insects, the flowers give way to bright red berries that are ornamental and beneficial. They provide beauty in the yard, as well as food for birds in fall and winter. This is a slower-growing ground cover, but its evergreen foliage, flowers, and berries are a valuable asset in the garden. 

Lyreleaf Sage

Thrives in little-foot-traffic zones with ease and resilience.

Native to the Southeast across to Texas, lyreleaf sage is a taller ground cover that is perfect for fall planting. This tough, evergreen perennial performs best in warm climates and grows slightly taller than most. It’s excellent for spaces in the wildlife garden that get little foot traffic. 

In spring, lyreleaf sage produces tall spikes of blue-violet flowers. The lyre-shaped foliage also has a purple tint. It’s happy in partial shade, but flowers best with full exposure. Once established, this ground cover is low-maintenance and drought-tolerant. It spreads by seeds and roots to form dense colonies.

Blue-eyed Grass

Golden-centered blooms attract butterflies to grassy-looking clumps.

Throughout the Southeast and across to Texas, another stunning ground cover is blue-eyed grass. This native plant is perfect for planting in the fall. Despite its name, this grassy-looking plant is actually a type of iris. It forms neat clumps and forms colonies via underground rhizomes. 

Blue-eyed grass likes open spaces and also makes a lovely border. In late spring to early summer, it produces the most delightful, star-shaped, blue flowers with golden centers. The flowers are a great food source for butterflies and bees. 

Virginia Creeper

Climbing habit allows it to adorn nearly any structure.

Plant some Virginia creeper in the fall if you want a vigorous native vining ground cover. This vine is native to most of the eastern and central United States, and spreads quickly, though it is deciduous. It loses its leaves in the winter. However, its dense vining habit makes it excellent for preventing erosion. 

Virginia creeper is highly adaptable to soil, sun, and water conditions. It grows perfectly fine in nearly full shade or sun. If you don’t trim this vine, it will climb any structure it comes in contact with. This is a beautiful plant for anyone who loves a fast grower. In the fall, it turns beautiful shades of red and burgundy. 

Wild Ginger

Spreads quickly through rhizomes, covering shady garden corners.

For woodland and shaded gardens, wild ginger is a wonderful native ground cover for fall. This perennial is native to much of the eastern and central U.S., with the exception of Florida. It grows by rhizomes, producing a lush carpet of heart-shaped leaves. 

Planting in the fall helps get the roots established so that it can take off in spring. It will grow rapidly and produce interesting, red, jug-shaped flowers. These are sometimes obscured by the foliage. Pair this lovely ground cover with ferns and other shade-loving natives for a true woodland feel.

Pussytoes

Thrives in dry soil while staying low-growing.

Pussytoes is an adorable name for this native ground cover. It comes from the fuzzy paw-like flowers that bloom in mid to late spring. Planting it in the fall is a great way to get the roots established before winter. The native range varies from one species to another, with at least one species native to all parts of the U.S. 

In addition to its unique flowers, pussytoes foliage is a great pollinator supporter. The American painted lady butterfly uses its foliage as a larval host. Once established, it’s virtually maintenance-free and drought-tolerant.

Sunshine Mimosa

Nitrogen-fixing roots naturally improve soil health over time.

This cheerful, low-growing, fall native ground cover just might be my favorite one. Sunshine mimosa is a lovely plant, and it does well when planted in the fall. It has a limited range in the Southeast, so it’s not for every garden, but it’s truly a lovely little plant. 

Sunshine mimosa is tolerant of some shade and has lovely fernlike foliage. In late spring and summer, it produces fluffy, pink, ball-shaped flowers that are highly attractive to bees and other pollinators. It’s great for controlling erosion, and it’s nitrogen fixing, so it’s great for soil health.