Japanese gardens are renowned for their serene beauty and meticulous design. Lush plantings are an integral part of creating the tranquil atmosphere. Groundcovers play an especially important role helping form soft carpets of texture and color.
Selecting the right ground cover plants is key to enhancing the Japanese garden aesthetic. The choices need to thrive in the environment while requiring minimal care. Here are 12 of the best options to consider:
1. Japanese Forest Grass
Native to the woodlands of Japan this graceful ornamental grass has an airy, fountain-like form. It spreads to create a lush groundcover that feels wonderfully naturalistic. Japanese forest grass thrives in shade and needs little water once established.
2. Mondo Grass
With strappy black foliage mondo grass forms a dramatic dark groundcover carpet. The clump-forming Ophiopogon planifolius ‘Nigrescens’ variety is perfect for Japanese gardens, providing stark contrast to gravel and stone. It grows well in partial sun or full shade.
3. Dwarf Mondo Grass
A finer-textured alternative is Ophiopogon japonicus ‘Nanus’. Also known as dwarf mondo grass, it has bright green grassy leaves and reaches just 2-5 inches tall. This Japanese native spreads readily to blanket areas of the garden with soft, lush greenery.
4. Creeping Juniper
The low, spreading form of creeping juniper offers versatile evergreen coverage. It can cascade picturesquely over rocks or walls and also planting around boulders or garden features. Varieties like ‘Blue Rug’ and ‘Blue Star’ add gorgeous color while needing minimal care.
5. Sweetflag
Sweetflag (Acorus gramineus) is a semi-evergreen perennial that’s been used in Japanese gardens for centuries. Its slender sword-like foliage forms neat clumps with intriguing sent when bruised. Variegated varieties like ‘Ogon’ brighten up shady areas.
6. Golden Hakone Grass
This compact, mounding Japanese grass features graceful, arching foliage with vivid yellow variegation. Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’ provides eye-catching color and texture contrast to rocks, gravel and paving. It thrives in part sun or dappled shade.
7. Dwarf Mugo Pine
Pine trees are integral to Japanese garden design. For an easy-care groundcover, choose Pinus mugo ‘mughus’. This dwarf evergreen grows only 1-2 feet tall but spreads several feet wide. Use it to blanket areas or cascade picturesquely over features.
8. Wintercreeper Euonymus
An adaptable broadleaf evergreen, Euonymus fortunei is a popular groundcover choice with small rounded leaves on trailing stems. It can spread aggressively, so plant in contained areas. Varieties like ‘Wolong Ghost’ and ‘Emerald Gaiety’ add striking variegation.
9. Perennial Candytuft
Candytuft (Iberis sempervirens) is a hardy, fast-spreading evergreen perennial perfect for blanketing areas of the garden quickly. It produces clusters of small white blooms in spring. The neat foliage and flowers complement Japanese garden style nicely.
10. Dwarf Hinoki Cypress
Incorporating conifers is key for Japanese gardens. Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Nana Gracilis’ is a dwarf Hinoki cypress that grows slowly into a flattened mound shape. It adds rich green softness and needs only occasional trimming to maintain its compact form.
11. Creeping Phlox
For wispy carpets of color through spring and early summer, few plants rival creeping phlox. Species like Phlox subulata spread readily to cloak areas around rocks or pavers with dense, mossy foliage and vibrant flowers. It thrives in full sun with well-drained soil.
12. Sedum
Succulents like sedum make excellent creeping groundcovers for sunny, well-drained areas of the Japanese garden. Their colorful rosettes of thick foliage and late summer blooms combine beautifully with gravel mulch and large stones. Mix varieties for texture and color interest.
Design Tips For Using Groundcovers
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Focus on foliage color and texture contrast to create visual interest
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Mass plantings have greater impact than sparse dottings
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Allow groundcovers to meander naturally around features
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Mix low growers with cascading types for layered effects
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Use grasses and sedums to complement gravel mulch areas
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Select dwarf, slow-growing forms over aggressive spreaders
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Combine evergreen choices with deciduous for year-round appeal
Caring For Groundcovers In Japanese Gardens
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Water regularly when first establishing new plantings
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Apply organic mulch around plants to conserve moisture and control weeds
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Trim back spreaders like euonymus and juniper to keep them in bounds
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Cut back deciduous groundcovers in late winter before new growth emerges
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Divide clump-forming types like mondo grass every few years to rejuvenate
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Remove fallen leaves and debris to prevent smothering
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Take care not to damage shallow roots when working around plants
The right groundcovers can make all the difference in a Japanese garden, helping set the peaceful mood. When selected with care, they provide a finishing touch of tranquil beauty with minimal upkeep required. Pay attention to color, texture and form to choose varieties that complement the hardscape. With a palette of hardy, low-care creepers at your disposal, you can easily craft a serene plot that looks terrific year-round.
Frequency of entities:
groundcover – 27
japanese – 24
garden – 15
plants – 9
foliage – 5
gravel – 3
shade – 3
spread – 3
soil – 3
rock – 3
grass – 3
water – 2
mulch – 2
plantings – 2
care – 2
features – 2
forms – 2
varieties – 2
minimal – 2
areas – 2
color – 2
sedum – 2
juniper – 2
evergreen – 2
mondo – 2
growth – 1
leaves – 1
conifers – 1
perennials – 1
walls – 1
moss – 1
carpet – 1
stone – 1
drainage – 1
hardscape – 1
upkeep – 1
roots – 1
trimming – 1
pruning – 1
spring – 1
winter – 1
climbers – 1
Black mondo grass
Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’ AGM
This plant isn’t really a grass, even though it’s sometimes called “black mondo grass.” Its dark leaves, low growth, and slow spreading make it look great with other brightly colored plants. Small purple flowers are followed by black berries.
It does best in moist soils in full sun but will also tolerate some shade. You can also buy green mondo grass, Ophiopogon japonicus, which looks the same but has dark green leaves.
It may come as a surprise, but many lilies are native to Asian forests, where they grow in sunny spots or shady spots. They like deep, humus-rich but well-drained soil but also do well in pots. Surround them with sharp sand when planting to aid drainage.
Lilium leichtlinii has golden yellow recurved flowers with brown spots that are a good Japanese species to look out for. Another good species is Lilium speciosum, which is usually found as the pink cultivar ‘Uchida’. Lilium longiflorum has tall plants with white flowers that look like trumpets and smell very nice. Lilium auratum has white flowers with a yellow stripe and a spicy smell.
Even though it’s not very pretty, this Japanese woodland plant is very useful as ground cover because it spreads slowly without crowding out plants that are already there.
It prefers shade otherwise its leaves will bleach. There is also a variegated version, which will brighten up a shady understory. It has small white flowers in early summer.
It’s hard to think of anything more Japanese than azaleas with lots of bright flowers. They come in a huge range of colors, from icy white to burning red and orange. Neatly pruned or allowed to sprawl, they are essential to an authentic Japanese garden. But if you don’t have the acidic or neutral soils they like, you can get the same effect with Japanese quince (Chaenomeles) or heavenly bamboo (Nandina domestica).
Tips for how to make a Japanese garden
- Fewer plants are better; stick to a few kinds. In Japanese gardens, there aren’t many plants, so the space between them is just as important as the plants themselves. In addition, this can help make the garden look bigger.
- Japanese gardens often ‘borrow’ the landscape around them. So if you have a nice view, put some nice Japanese maples around it.
- Hard landscaping can include gravel, rocks and stepping stones. To make Japanese-style fences, tie pieces of bamboo together with twine.
- Encourage mosses to spread in nooks and crannies. In Japanese gardens, the different shades of green are often shown off, and moss is used in many temple gardens.
- Think calming and serene: Japanese gardens are used for contemplation. To get ideas, look at Kyoto’s tea gardens and temple gardens.
10 Tough Evergreen Ground Covers for Your Garden
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