Best in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Plant Hardiness Zones 3 through 9, it provides a bright spot in mid-spring, and produces colorful flowers in shades of pink, white and purple.
Hardy plumbago (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides), sometimes called leadwort, forms a mat over the ground by spreading via rhizomes, aka underground stems.
This shrub will spread to become 6 to 8 feet across and 2 to 3 feet tall, so it won’t take many plants to fill in a large area.
Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans) is a low-growing ground cover plant that quickly spreads mats of foliage. It grows well in zones 4 through 9, in sun and shade.
If you have dry and sunny conditions, several varieties of Sedum spurium should keep weeds from taking hold.
For a native plant option, Kathy Jentz, author of Groundcover Revolution, recommends groundsel (Packera aurea), sometimes called butterweed, golden ragwort or senecio
To brighten up shady areas, try Lamium maculatum. Most varieties have variegated foliage, which, along with white or purplish-pink flowers, lets them stand out in the shade.
Also known as bishop’s hat and fairy wings, which allude to the unusual shape of the flowers, barrenwort (Epimedium grandiflorum) grows well in shaded areas.