The best drought tolerant ground covers for your garden include creeping sedum, creeping thyme, ice plant, and blue fescue. These plants spread to cover your soil and survive with little water once they get going. They also crowd out weeds so you spend less time pulling and more time enjoying your garden. I use all of these in my own yard and they look great with almost zero care from me.
A good dry climate ground cover does double duty in your garden beds and borders. It shades your soil so water evaporates slowly after rain. It also spreads to fill gaps where weeds would otherwise grow and steal water from your plants. You get lower water use and less weeding from one simple planting choice.
I replaced a sunny slope of struggling lawn with creeping sedum three years ago in my yard. The first year I watered weekly to help the plants spread and fill in the gaps. By year two the sedum had covered the entire slope and I stopped watering almost completely. Now it blooms yellow in summer and turns bronze in fall with zero input from me.
Creeping sedum is my favorite xeriscape ground cover plants choice for hot sunny spots in gardens. It survives in zones 3 through 9 and handles extreme heat and cold with ease. The thick leaves store water so plants survive weeks without rain during summer dry spells. You can walk on it without damage and it spreads fast once it settles into your soil.
Creeping thyme offers low water spreading plants that smell wonderful when you brush past them in your garden. It grows in zones 4 through 9 and stays under 3 inches (8 cm) tall in your beds. Tiny flowers attract bees and butterflies to your yard all summer long. Plant it between stepping stones or along paths where you can enjoy the scent.
Ice plant dazzles with bright flowers in hot climates from zones 8 through 11 in gardens. This succulent ground cover stores water in its thick leaves and survives extreme drought. The flowers open in brilliant pinks, purples, yellows, and oranges that cover your plants for weeks. Use it on slopes, in rock gardens, or along driveways where water runs off fast.
Blue fescue forms neat clumps rather than spreading flat like other ground covers do. It grows in zones 4 through 8 and keeps its blue-gray color all year for you. Space your clumps 12 inches (30 cm) apart and they will fill in to form a dense cover. This grass adds texture and color contrast to your other drought plants in beds.
Space your new ground cover plants close enough to fill in within two growing seasons for best results. This means about 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) apart for most spreading types in your garden. Use temporary mulch between your plants to hold moisture and block weeds until they fill in completely. Pull the mulch back as plants spread so they can root into open soil.
Water your new ground covers regularly during their first year to help roots establish in your soil. After that, most drought tolerant ground covers need water only every two to three weeks in summer. The soil shading and weed blocking start paying off as soon as your plants fill in. Your finished ground cover almost takes care of itself once it matures in your garden.
Read the full article: Top 10 Drought Resistant Plants for Gardens
