Ground Cover Plants With Yellow Flowers

If you want a garden that feels bright and welcoming all season long, consider adding ground cover plants with yellow flowers. These sun-kissed and cheerful plants are a fantastic way to add color and solve landscaping problems. They spread to fill empty spaces, suppress weeds, and often thrive with minimal care. Let’s look at how to choose and grow the best yellow-flowering ground covers for your sunny spots.

This category includes a wide range of tough, spreading plants. They share the ability to create a carpet of foliage topped with bright blooms. From early spring to late fall, there’s a yellow ground cover ready to shine. They are perfect for slopes, rocky areas, or simply as a low-maintenance alternative to lawn grass.

Why Choose Yellow Flowering Ground Covers?

Yellow flowers bring instant warmth to a garden. They pair beautifully with blue, purple, and green foliage. Beyond their looks, these plants are practical.

Erosion Control: Their mat-forming roots hold soil on slopes.
Weed Suppression: A dense cover blocks sunlight from weed seeds.
Pollinator Friendly: Bees and butterflies are drawn to yellow blooms.
Low Maintenance: Once established, many are drought-tolerant and need little fuss.

Top Picks for Sun-Kissed Ground Covers

Here are some of the best performers. Each has its own character and growing season.

Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’)

This plant is grown primarily for its brilliant chartreuse to yellow foliage. It produces small, cup-shaped yellow flowers in summer. Creeping Jenny is a vigorous grower for damp areas.

Light: Full sun to part shade.
Height: 2-4 inches tall.
Spread: Very fast, can be aggressive.
Best for: Containers, edges, and moist ground.

Basket-of-Gold (Aurinia saxatilis)

A classic spring bloomer, it creates a stunning cascade of tiny, bright yellow flowers. Its gray-green foliage forms a neat mound. It’s excellent for rock gardens and walls.

Light: Requires full sun.
Height: 6-12 inches tall.
Spread: 1-2 feet wide.
Best for: Rock gardens, dry slopes, wall crevices.

Hardy Ice Plant (Delosperma)

Several Delosperma varieties offer dazzling yellow daisy-like flowers. They are succulents with fleshy leaves and bloom profusely from late spring to frost. They are incredibly drought-tolerant.

Light: Must have full sun.
Height: 2-6 inches tall.
Spread: Forms a wide, trailing mat.
Best for: Hot, dry, sandy soils and rock gardens.

Creeping Potentilla (Potentilla neumanniana)

This tough plant features strawberry-like leaves and cheerful yellow buttercup flowers from late spring into early summer. It’s very adaptable and can handle light foot traffic.

Light: Full sun to part shade.
Height: 3-6 inches tall.
Spread: 1-2 feet wide.
Best for: Path edges, between stepping stones, poor soil.

Yellow Stonecrop (Sedum spp.)

Many low-growing sedums have yellow flowers. ‘Angelina’ sedum has golden needle-like foliage with yellow blooms. They are the ultimate in easy-care plants.

Light: Full sun.
Height: 3-6 inches tall.
Spread: Spreads steadily to form a patch.
Best for: Green roofs, gravel gardens, containers.

How to Plant Your Ground Cover

Proper planting gives your ground covers a strong start. Timing is key for the best results.

Step 1: Choose the Right Time

Early spring or early fall are the best times to plant. The cool, moist weather helps roots establish without the stress of summer heat. Avoid planting in the middle of a hot, dry summer if you can.

Step 2: Prepare the Site

Good preparation saves work later. You want to give the plants a clean, healthy space to grow into.

Clear all existing weeds and grass from the area. Be thorough.
Loosen the soil to a depth of about 6-8 inches.
Mix in some compost or well-rotted manure to improve drainage and fertility.
Level the area with a rake.

Step 3: Spacing and Planting

Check the plant tag for recommended spacing. For a fast cover, you can place them a bit closer. For a budget-friendly approach, space them further apart and let them fill in over a year or two.

Dig a hole just a bit larger than the plant’s root ball.
Gently remove the plant from its container and loosen any circling roots.
Place it in the hole so the top of the root ball is level with the soil surface.
Backfill with soil and firm it gently around the plant.
Water deeply immediately after planting.

Caring for Your Yellow Flowering Carpet

Once established, these plants need little attention. But a few simple care steps will keep them looking their best for years.

Watering Wisely

Water regularly during the first growing season. This is crucial for root development. After that, most of these plants are quite drought-tolerant. Water deeply but infrequently, allowing the soil to dry out a bit between waterings. Overwatering is a common mistake.

Feeding and Fertilizing

Ground covers generally don’t need heavy feeding. In fact, to much fertilizer can cause to much leafy growth and fewer flowers. A light application of a balanced, slow-release fertilizer in early spring is usually sufficient. For very poor soils, you might need a bit more.

Pruning and Trimming

A little trim encourages bushiness and more flowers. After the main bloom period, shear back flowering stems by about one-third. This is especially helpful for plants like Basket-of-Gold. For vigorous spreaders like Creeping Jenny, you may need to trim the edges occasionally to keep them in bounds.

Managing Pests and Problems

These tough plants have few serious issues. Good air circulation and well-drained soil prevent most fungal diseases. Watch for slugs and snails on plants in shadier, moister conditions. Aphids can sometimes appear but are easily controlled with a strong spray of water.

Design Ideas for a Cheerful Garden

Think beyond just filling space. Use these vibrant plants to create beautiful garden pictures.

On a Sunny Slope

Plant a mix of Hardy Ice Plant and Creeping Potentilla on a bank. Their roots will stabilize the soil, and the staggered bloom times will provide long color. The contrast between the succulent ice plant leaves and the potentilla’s foliage is attractive even when not in flower.

Between Stepping Stones

Use low, tough plants like woolly thyme (which can have tiny yellow flowers) or Creeping Potentilla between pavers. They release a lovely scent when brushed against and soften the hardscape lines. They can handle occasional foot traffic without a problem.

As a Lawn Alternative

In a small, low-traffic area, consider a blend of low-growing thymes or sedums. They never need mowing, attract pollinators, and provide color throughout the growing season. This saves water and time compared to a traditional grass lawn.

In Container Gardens

Let ground covers spill over the edges of pots and window boxes. Creeping Jenny is a classic choice for this. It’s bright foliage complements almost any flowering annual you plant in the center, like purple petunias or blue lobelia.

Seasonal Interest and Companion Plants

To keep your garden looking great, pair your yellow ground covers with plants that offer different colors and textures.

Spring Companions

Pair early-blooming Basket-of-Gold with blue-flowering forget-me-nots (Myosotis) or purple creeping phlox. The color combination is stunning. Small spring bulbs like species tulips or muscari also pop up through the ground cover foliage.

Summer Companions

Combine the steady yellow of Sedum ‘Angelina’ with the spiky blue flowers of Salvia or the soft purple mounds of Catmint (Nepeta). The contrast in forms makes the garden more dynamic. Ornamental grasses add movement and airiness.

Fall and Winter Structure

Many ground covers have evergreen or semi-evergreen foliage. The golden needles of ‘Angelina’ Sedum turn a brilliant orange-red in cold weather, giving winter color. Some, like certain ice plants, have interesting seed heads that persist.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even with easy plants, a few errors can cause problems. Here’s what to watch out for.

Wrong Plant, Wrong Place: Don’t put a sun-loving ice plant in deep shade. Always check light requirements.
Poor Soil Preparation: Skipping weed removal leads to a tangled mess later. It’s the most important step.
Overcrowding at the Start: Planting to close together can lead to poor air circulation and disease, even for ground covers.
Ignoring Growth Habits: Some plants, like Creeping Jenny, are very vigorous. Don’t plant them near delicate perennials or they might get smothered.
Forgetting to Water New Plants: The first year is critical. Don’t assume drought-tolerant means drought-proof from day one.

Propagating Your Favorites

Once you have a healthy plant, it’s easy to make more. This is a cost-effective way to fill larger areas.

Division

This is the simplest method for most clump-forming or spreading ground covers. Do it in early spring or fall.

Dig up a mature clump of the plant.
Use a sharp spade or knife to cut it into smaller sections. Each section should have roots and shoots.
Replant the divisions immediately and water them well.

Stem Cuttings

This works well for plants like ice plant and sedum.

In late spring or summer, cut a 3-4 inch piece of healthy stem.
Remove the leaves from the bottom half of the cutting.
Dip the cut end in rooting hormone (optional but helpful).
Plant it in a pot filled with a mix of sand and potting soil.
Keep the soil lightly moist until new growth appears.

FAQ About Yellow Flowering Ground Covers

What is the fastest spreading ground cover with yellow flowers?

Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia) is one of the fastest, but it can be invasive in ideal conditions. For a fast, well-behaved option in sunny, dry spots, consider Hardy Ice Plant (Delosperma).

Are there any shade-tolerant ground covers with yellow blooms?

Yes, though options are fewer. Creeping Jenny tolerates part shade. Some varieties of barren strawberry (Waldsteinia) with yellow flowers can handle partial shade. Always check the specific plant’s requirements.

How do I stop my ground cover from becoming invasive?

Choose plants suited to your site’s conditions—a dry soil plant in moist soil will grow slower. Use physical barriers like edging buried 6 inches deep around aggressive spreaders. Regular trimming of the edges in spring and fall is also effective for control.

Can I walk on yellow flowering ground covers?

Some can handle light, occasional foot traffic. Creeping thyme and creeping potentilla are among the most tolerant. Avoid walking on more delicate plants like ice plant or sedum, as their stems break easily.

What is the best low-maintenance yellow ground cover?

Sedums (Stonecrop) and Delosperma (Ice Plant) are top choices for full sun and dry soil. Once established, they need almost no extra water, rarely have pest issues, and only need a quick cleanup in early spring.

Do deer eat these plants?

Many are deer-resistant due to their fuzzy, succulent, or aromatic foliage. Deer typically avoid sedum, ice plant, potentilla, and creeping thyme. However, a hungry deer will eat almost anything, so resistance is not a guarantee.

Adding ground cover plants with yellow flowers is a simple way to bring lasting brightness to your garden. By choosing the right plant for your location and following basic planting steps, you can create a beautiful, low-care landscape feature. The cheerful yellow blooms will light up your garden from spring to fall, proving that practical solutions can also be the most beautiful.