Perfect Perennial Pairings for Living Mulch in the Sun & Shade
Posted by Annie Algren on May 25th 2026
Perfect Perennial Pairings for Living Mulch in the Sun & Shade
The practice of adding wood mulch to our garden beds is deeply integrated into the culture of gardening and landscaping, but what if there was an easier, more ecologically beneficial way to keep weeds out and moisture in? We encourage you to give living mulch a try! By adding low-growing ground covers to your garden beds as a wood mulch replacement, you will reap numerous benefits such as weed suppression, soil enrichment, moisture retention, and the expansion of wildlife habitat. Save your back and your wallet too by making the swap! Here are three prefect perennial pairings that you can incorporate into your sunny or shady garden beds - or under trees as a wood mulch replacement.
Sunny
Creeping Thyme - Thymus serpyllum
An herbaceous perennial groundcover with small, aromatic green leaves adorned with abundant bright summer flowers and bronze fall color.
Forms a low, dense mat tolerant of light foot traffic. Use between pavers, in rock gardens, above retaining walls, along walkways, or mass together in sunny borders.
Growth Habit: low, spreading
Soil Type: loam, sand
Bloom Color: pink, purple
Size: 2-6” H x 6-18” W
Bloom Time: early summer to mid-summer
Maintenance: cut or shear back by half in early spring to make way for new growth and control woody stems
Benefits: deer and rabbit resistant, salt and drought tolerant, attracts pollinators, fragrant, repels mosquitos
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Creeping Phlox - Phlox subulata
A low-growing Minnesota native herbaceous perennial with creeping evergreen, needle-like foliage that forms a dense mat of abundant five-petaled spring flowers.
Wonderful as a sunny groundcover in rock gardens, along pathways, or spilling over retaining walls.
Growth Habit: low, spreading
Soil Type: loam, will tolerate sand, clay
Bloom Color: pink, purple, blue, white, red
Size: 6-8” H x 12-24” W
Bloom Time: late spring to early summer
Maintenance: prune after blooming if desired to maintain shape and spread
Benefits: deer resistant, salt and drought tolerant, attracts pollinators, native
Bugleweed - Ajuga
A durable, low-growing herbaceous perennial groundcover that forms a dense mat of attractive foliage with violet flower spikes.
Perfect for planting along pathways, in low borders, on hillsides, or other spaces in sun.
Growth Habit: low, spreading
Soil Type: loam, clay, sand
Bloom Color: blue, purple
Size: 3-6” H x 6-12” W
Bloom Time: late spring to early summer
Maintenance: Prune after flowering, if desired, to maintain shape and vigor
Benefits: Deer and rabbit resistant, black walnut tolerant, drought tolerant once established, prevents erosion
Shady
Sweet Woodruff - Gallium odoratum
An herbaceous mat-forming perennial groundcover with whorls of deep green leaves and sprays of fragrant white flowers.
Groundcover for woodland gardens, pathway edging, and other shady areas of the landscape.
Growth Habit: low, spreading
Soil Type: loam, will tolerate sand, clay
Bloom Color: White
Size: 6-12” H x 6-12” W
Bloom Time: late spring to early summer
Maintenance: Prune in early spring if desired to maintain shape and vigor
Benefits: Deer and rabbit resistant, black walnut tolerant, attracts pollinators
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Wild Ginger - Asarum canadense
A Minnesota native herbaceous perennial with pairs of downy, heart-shaped green leaves and unique cup-shaped red flowers.
Fantastic as a lush groundcover in woodland gardens, natural areas, stream and pond margins, or other moist shady sites.
Growth Habit: low, spreading
Soil Type: loam, clay, sand
Bloom Color: red
Size:
Bloom Time:
Maintenance: Divide every 3-4 years in early spring or fall, if necessary, to prevent overcrowding
Benefits: Deer and rabbit resistant, wet tolerant, erosion control, weed suppression, native
Allegheny Spurge - Pachysandra procumbens
A semi-evergreen subshrub groundcover that gently spreads to form a lush carpet of matte blue-green leaves mottled with silver and white. Blooms are lightly fragrant, white bottlebrush flowers.
Wonderful as a shady groundcover in woodland gardens, dry slopes, and other shady spaces.
Growth Habit: low, spreading
Soil Type: loam, will tolerate clay, sand
Bloom Color: white
Size: 6-12” H x 12-24” W
Bloom Time: early to mid-spring
Maintenance: Trim back in early spring before new growth emerges to maintain shape and vigor
Benefits: Deer and rabbit resistant, drought and black walnut tolerant
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If you would like assistance picking out the perfect perennials, feel free to stop in and ask! Otherwise, email us at hello@tonkadale.com - we're here to help!