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Weeds can quickly take over garden beds, crowding out the plants you actually want to grow. They compete for water, nutrients, and sunlight—and keeping up with them can feel like a full-time job.
One simple way to cut down on weeding is to grow plants that naturally block weeds by covering the soil and leaving little room for unwanted growth. Even better, some of these plants also attract bees and other pollinators, helping your garden thrive.
Here are 21 useful plants that help control weeds and support the bees at the same time.
Periwinkle (Vinca minor)
Also known as creeping myrtle, Vinca minor is a classic ground cover that quickly spreads across shady areas. Its glossy green leaves and soft periwinkle-blue flowers add color and texture while crowding out weeds.
It’s a hardy, low-maintenance choice for difficult clay soil. Plant 12 inches apart and trim back the edges as needed to keep it contained.
Hosta Flowers
With its colorful foliage, Hosta is ideal for shaded borders or planting under taller shrubs. It offers shades of green, yellow, and red. Hostas require shade and thrive in moist, rich soil. Growing hostas are great for crowding out weeds, and when they flower, they will attract bees.
Lenten Rose (Helleborus orientalis)
Lenten Rose, or Helleborus, blooms early, offering flowers in a range of colors from white to deep burgundy. It’s a hardy, low-maintenance perennial for shady gardens. Zones 4-10
Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum)
Sweet woodruff is a ground cover plant that grows bushy and attractive with small white flowers. This plant prefers partial to full shade with moist soil. It requires minimal care, only needing extra water during dry periods. However, sweet woodruff spreads quickly and can become invasive, so regular trimming and monitoring are necessary to keep it under control. Zones 4-8
Bee Balm
True to its name, Bee Balm is a magnet for bees as well as butterflies and hummingbirds. They are also excellent for crowding out weeds. Part of the mint family, it’s easy to grow and provides aromatic flowers that spread joy and color.
Yarrow (Achillea)
Yarrow is known for its drought resistance and ability to flourish in full sunlight. It produces clusters of small, flat-topped flowers that come in a variety of colors, making it a vibrant and hardy addition to any garden. Suitable for zones 3-9, yarrow is particularly effective at suppressing weeds when planted in groups, as it can crowd them out naturally.
Trailing Lantana (Lantana montevidensis)
Trailing lantana is a fast-growing ground cover ideal for large areas. Its purple flowers bloom from spring through fall, attracting bees and butterflies, while deer and rabbits avoid it. Zones 9 to 11.
Creeping Phlox (Phlox subulata)
Creeping phlox is known for its star-shaped blooms in pink, purple, and white. These flowers emerge in late winter to early spring, while their leaves stay green throughout the rest of the year.
This low-growing plant spreads widely, covering bare soil effectively and helping to prevent weed growth due to its dense coverage. It requires full sun and well-draining soil to thrive. Zones 3 to 10
Azaleas
Azaleas are known for their vibrant spring blooms, and some varieties feature evergreen foliage that lasts all year. Their striking flowers will enhance the visual appeal of your yard.
They thrive in slightly acidic, well-drained soil and grow well in sunny and partially shaded areas. When planted in large groups, they form an attractive backdrop and shade the ground, which, along with their dense foliage, helps suppress weed growth.
Clematis
Clematis are loved for their vibrant flowers, which come in various colors, including blue. They perform best in sunny spots, but their roots should be kept cool and shaded.
These vines need well-drained soil and benefit from regular pruning to flourish. Ideal for climbing up trellises or fences, clematis can also spread across the garden, effectively suppressing weeds as they grow. Zones 4-9
Lamb’s Ear (Stachys byzantina)
Lamb’s ear is known for its fuzzy leaves with a gray-green, silver, frost-like appearance. This low-growing ground cover forms a dense carpet that effectively blocks sunlight, preventing weeds from growing.
Like mint, lamb’s ear can become invasive, especially in warmer climates, as it tends to overshadow nearby plants. It is drought-tolerant, requiring little water, and thrives in full sun with well-draining soil. Zones 4 to 8
Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans)
Bugleweed, or ajuga, is a low-growing ground cover that rapidly spreads, forming dense mats of foliage. While it can sometimes be mistaken for a weed, its appearance during bloom—with spectacular stalks of tiny trumpet-shaped purple flowers—clearly sets it apart, adding vibrant color to any yard.
This plant’s thick growth helps prevent other weeds from taking root. Bugleweed is a low-maintenance plant that thrives in both direct sunlight and partial shade. Zones 4 to 9
Sedum (Sedum spp.)
Also known as stonecrop, it has succulent leaves that provide color throughout the year and are drought-tolerant. They thrive in full sun and prefer well-drained, poor soil. Due to their low growth rate, they can effectively prevent weeds. Zones 3-8
Dead Nettle (Lamium maculatum)
Lamium maculatum, also called dead nettle, thrives in the shade with its silver-striped leaves and clusters of pink, purple, or white blooms. It grows well even in heavy clay soil and is great for filling gaps under trees or in other low-light spots.
Candytuft (Iberis sempervirens)
Candytuft is a low-growing evergreen perennial that spills over garden edges with clusters of white flowers in spring. It prefers full sun and well-draining soil and benefits from light pruning after blooming to stay compact and lush.
Hardy Plumbago (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides)
This popular ground cover plant is known for its sweet and delicate blue flowers. The leaves grow thick and dense, effectively preventing weeds from sprouting. It’s an excellent choice if you want to add a splash of color to your yard. This plant is drought-tolerant and only needs watering when the soil is dry. Zones 9-11
Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum)
Creeping thyme spreads along the ground and helps stop weeds from growing. It has a nice scent that can fill your yard with a subtle fragrance. It grows best in full sun and needs soil that drains well and is not too moist. Zones 5 to 9
Lavendar
Lavender works well for controlling weeds.
Epimedium (Barrenwort)
If you’ve got a shady corner that needs a little love, epimedium is a graceful groundcover that quietly steals the show. In early spring, it sends up airy blooms in soft yellows, pinks, or purples, and the heart-shaped foliage remains to add texture throughout the season. Deer don’t care for it, and neither do weeds.
Liriope (Lilyturf)
Liriope appears as simple grassy clumps at first, but wait until late summer when the rich purple flower spikes emerge. It’s incredibly resilient—drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, and tough enough to survive even when neglected behind a shed.
Pachysandra
Pachysandra is the groundcover you call in when nothing else wants to grow in the shade. It spreads quickly to form a thick mat of glossy, green leaves, with tiny white blooms that appear quietly in early spring.
