Plants Similar To Baby Tears

If you love the look of baby tears but find them a bit too fussy for your garden, you’re not alone. Many gardeners look for plants similar to baby tears that offer that lush, carpet-like effect without the constant demand for moisture.

These alternatives can give you the beautiful green canvas you want with much less work. Let’s look at some excellent, easy-care options that will thrive in various conditions in your yard.

Finding the right ground cover is about matching the plant to your garden’s specific conditions. The best plants similar to baby tears will create a dense mat, suppress weeds, and handle a bit of foot traffic. The good news is there are several tough and beautiful choices.

Top Easy-Care Ground Cover Alternatives

Here are some of the most reliable and low-maintenance plants that can serve as fantastic baby tears substitutes.

Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum): This herb is a superstar. It forms a dense, fragrant mat that can handle light foot traffic and rewards you with tiny purple or pink flowers in summer. It loves full sun and well-drained soil, and it’s drought-tolerant once established.
Sedum (Stonecrop): For hot, dry, sunny spots, sedum is unbeatable. Varieties like ‘Angelina’ (yellow-green) or ‘Blue Spruce’ (blue-green) spread quickly, need almost no water, and offer year-round visual interest with their succulent foliage.
Irish Moss (Sagina subulata): This one gives you the closest look to baby tears. It forms a bright green, moss-like cushion with tiny white flowers. It prefers more moisture than sedum but is generally more forgiving than true baby tears, liking partial shade.
Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia): With its cheerful, round lime-green leaves, Creeping Jenny is a rapid spreader for damp areas. It’s fantastic in partial shade and can trail over walls or pots beautifully. The ‘Aurea’ variety is particularly popular.
Corsican Mint (Mentha requienii): The smallest mint, it releases a wonderful scent when brushed against. It forms a tiny-leaved mat and loves moist, shady spots. It’s perfect between stepping stones where you can enjoy its fragrance.
Dichondra (Dichondra repens): Often called “Silver Falls” for its cascading habit, the green variety makes a soft, kidney-shaped leaf carpet. It tolerates light foot traffic and likes sun to part shade, with moderate water needs.

Choosing the Right Plant for Your Space

Picking the perfect alternative depends on three main factors: light, moisture, and traffic. Ask yourself these questions before you choose.

Assess Your Garden’s Light

Is the area in full sun all day, or does it get dappled shade? Sun-lovers like sedum and thyme will struggle in deep shade, while Irish moss might scorch in hot afternoon sun. Observe the light patterns over a full day to be sure.

Understand Your Soil and Water

How fast does the soil dry out? Some plants, like Corsican mint, need consistent moisture. Others, like sedum, require excellent drainage and prefer to dry out between waterings. Amending your soil with compost can help improve conditions for many of these plants.

Consider Foot Traffic

Will you or your pets be walking across this area? For pathways, choose tougher plants like creeping thyme or elfin thyme, which are more resilient than the delicate-looking Irish moss. For purely visual areas, you have more delicate options.

How to Plant and Establish Your Ground Cover

Getting your new ground cover off to a strong start is simple. Follow these steps for the best results.

Prepare the Soil: Clear all weeds and grass from the area. Loosen the top 6-8 inches of soil and mix in some compost. This gives the young plants’ roots a soft, nutrient-rich bed to grow into.
Space the Plants Correctly: Check the plant tag for spacing recommendations. For a faster fill-in, you can place them a bit closer. For example, space creeping thyme plants about 8-12 inches apart.
Plant at the Right Depth: Dig a hole just deep and wide enough for the root ball. Place the plant in, ensuring the top of the root ball is level with the soil surface, then backfill and firm the soil gently.
Water Deeply and Mulch: Water thoroughly after planting to settle the soil. Apply a thin layer of fine mulch, like bark chips, to help retain moisture and suppress weeds while the plants spread. Avoid burying the crowns of the plants.

Long-Term Care and Maintenance

Once established, these ground covers need minimal care. But a little attention will keep them looking their best for years to come.

Watering: Water regularly during the first growing season. After that, most of these alternatives are quite drought-tolerant. Always water deeply and less frequently to encourage strong roots.
Weeding: Keep the area weeded until the plants knit together into a solid mat. This is crucial in the first year. Once fully covered, weeds will have a hard time getting started.
Trimming: A light trim or “haircut” with shears after flowering can help keep plants like creeping thyme dense and neat. For vigorous spreaders like creeping Jenny, occasional edging might be needed to keep them in bounds.
Fertilizing: Most ground covers don’t need much fertilizer. A top-dressing of compost in the spring is usually sufficient to provide nutrients and improve soil structure.

Common Issues and Solutions

Even easy-care plants can face a few problems. Here’s how to troubleshoot.

Bare Patches: If areas die back, it’s often due to too much water (rot) or too little. Replant with a variety better suited to that specific spot’s conditions. Sometimes, gentle division and replanting from healthy sections can fill gaps.

Overly Aggressive Spreading: Some plants, like Creeping Jenny, can be enthusiastic. Install edging barriers when planting, or be prepared to trim back the edges a few times a season to maintain your desired shape.

Pests and Disease: These are usually minimal. Ensure good air circulation to prevent fungal issues in humid climates. Slugs might bother Irish moss or Corsican mint; use organic slug bait if needed.

Design Ideas for Using Ground Covers

These plants aren’t just for empty beds. They can solve problems and add beauty in creative ways.

Between Stepping Stones: Plant low, traffic-tolerant varieties like thyme, dichondra, or Corsican mint in the gaps. They soften the hardscape and release lovely scents when stepped on.
On Slopes or Banks: Use fast-spreading, erosion-controlling plants like sedum or creeping juniper (for larger areas) to hold soil in place on difficult-to-mow slopes.
As a Lawn Alternative: In small, low-traffic areas, a carpet of Irish moss or dichondra can create a stunning, textured green space that requires no mowing.
In Container Gardens: Let them spill over the edges of pots and planters. Creeping Jenny or sedum add a beautiful “spiller” element to your container combinations.

FAQ: Plants Like Baby Tears

What is the most low-maintenance alternative to baby tears?

For most gardeners, sedum (stonecrop) is the easiest. It thrives on neglect, needing very little water, no fertilizer, and it loves poor, rocky soil where other plants struggle.

Is there a ground cover like baby tears for deep shade?

For moist, dense shade, Corsican mint is a good option. For drier shade, consider sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum) or barren strawberry (Waldsteinia fragarioides). They won’t look identical but provide excellent coverage.

Which alternative is best for replacing a lawn?

For sunny areas, micro-clovers or creeping thyme are excellent lawn substitutes that handle light play and walking. They stay green, need less water than grass, and attract pollinators with their flowers.

How fast do these ground covers spread?

It varies. Creeping Jenny and some sedums can fill in an area within one growing season. Creeping thyme and Irish moss are slower, often taking two seasons to form a solid carpet. Proper spacing at planting effects the speed of coverage.

Can I walk on all these plants?

Not all. Creeping thyme and sedum are quite tolerant. Delicate plants like Irish moss or Corsican mint are best for visual areas or between stones where footfall is occasional and light. Always check the specific plant’s tolerance.

Choosing the right plants similar to baby tears can save you time and water while still giving you a gorgeous, textured garden floor. By matching the plant to your specific light and soil, you’ll create a resilient and beautiful landscape that almost cares for itself. Start with one small area, see how the plant performs, and enjoy the process of watching your living carpet grow.