Edible ground cover plants can benefit your garden in two ways, they improve aesthetics on your landscape while also giving you something delicious to consume.
These plants play crucial role in permaculture, apart from filling empty space, ground cover plants supress weed growth, avoid soil erosion and hold moisture.
And if you choose edible plants, they will serve you with nutritious feed and acts like a living mulch.
To be a successful gardener, you must grow more diversifying plants that supports your ecosystem.
Unlike veggies that often need regular inspection, these low-maintenance edible ground covers don’t demand daily upkeep.
There are enough plants that can be grown as edible groundcovers, that can improve garden appearance and feed you.
Creeping thyme and oregano make fragrant, hardy mats you can snip for cooking. Strawberries are a classic choice, giving you sweet fruit while covering bare soil.
Nasturtiums spread quickly with colorful, edible flowers and peppery leaves.
For leafy plants, try miner’s lettuce or creeping Jenny (edible varieties).
Importance of Groundcover Plants – Why you should grow them?
Soil Protection and Erosion Control
Groundcovers act like a natural blanket for your garden. They hug the soil, keeping it from being washed away by rain or blown off by wind. Their roots weave through the ground, holding everything in place—especially handy if you’ve got slopes or areas that take a beating during storms.
Natural Weed Suppression
Tired of pulling weeds? Groundcovers can help. Once they spread, they form a thick carpet that blocks sunlight from reaching weed seeds. That means fewer weeds popping up, less competition for nutrients, and way less time spent weeding or using chemicals.
Water Conservation and Moisture Retention
Groundcovers are like living mulch. They shade the soil, cut down on evaporation, and help keep things cool and moist—even when the weather is scorching. This not only saves water but also keeps your plants happier during dry spells.
Boosting Biodiversity
These plants aren’t just for looks—they bring life to your garden. Many groundcovers bloom, drawing in pollinators like bees and butterflies, while also giving shelter to helpful insects and small critters. In turn, that adds balance to your garden’s ecosystem and even helps with natural pest control.
Year-Round Beauty with Less Work
Most groundcovers keep their good looks all year long. They add color and texture, soften the edges of paths and walls, and generally make your garden more inviting. Best part? Once they’re settled, they don’t ask for much—perfect if you want a beautiful garden without constant upkeep.
27 Edible Ground Cover Plants to Feed You
Instead of growing only ground covers, you can plant edible groundcover plants that do multitasking, like improving soil health, supressing weeds and on top of that serving you with fresh herbs and greens.
1. Strawberries
Strawberries are the ultimate edible ground cover, giving you a carpet of shiny leaves and sweet berries. They look just as good as they taste in the garden.
They spread quickly with runners, filling bare soil and helping prevent weeds. Once planted, they’ll keep producing year after year with little effort.
Whether in beds, borders, or containers, strawberries thrive almost anywhere. They’re a low-maintenance plant that rewards you with plenty of treats.
2. Creeping Thyme
Creeping thyme is a tough, aromatic ground cover that stays low and spreads beautifully. It’s often used between stepping stones because it can handle light foot traffic.
The leaves are edible and full of flavor, perfect for seasoning meats, soups, or roasted veggies. It’s also a favorite for bees and pollinators.
Low-water and easygoing, creeping thyme thrives in poor soils and sunny spots. Once it settles in, you can almost forget about it.
3. Oregano
Oregano grows into a lush green mat, making it one of the easiest edible covers to grow. It’s tough, perennial, and keeps coming back stronger.
It’s one of the most useful herbs in the kitchen, especially for pizzas, sauces, and Mediterranean recipes. Fresh or dried, the flavor is amazing.
Hardy and drought-tolerant, oregano doesn’t ask for much. Give it sun and space to spread, and it’ll thrive year after year.
4. Nasturtiums
Nasturtiums bring life to your garden with their round leaves and bright, cheerful flowers. They spread easily, trailing over edges and filling bare patches.
Everything above ground is edible—the flowers, leaves, and seeds. They add a peppery punch to salads and a pop of color to your meals.
They’re also great companion plants, attracting pollinators while deterring pests. A perfect mix of beauty, flavor, and usefulness.
5. Mint
Mint is a fast-spreading ground cover with a refreshing scent. Its runners fill space quickly, covering soil and reducing weeds.
It’s incredibly versatile in the kitchen—perfect for teas, desserts, cocktails, or savory dishes. Fresh mint is always good to have on hand.
Since it can take over, it’s best to grow mint in containers or give it its own space. Managed well, it’s a garden essential.
Check this: 27 Fall Garden Ideas to Refresh Your Outdoor Space
6. Chives
Chives make a pretty and practical ground cover with their thin, grass-like leaves and purple globe-shaped flowers. They spread in small clumps, filling garden edges with greenery.
The leaves have a mild onion flavor and are perfect for garnishing soups, salads, or scrambled eggs. Even the flowers are edible and look stunning in dishes.
Chives are hardy, easy to grow, and come back year after year. They’re low-maintenance and fit perfectly into herb gardens or borders.
7. Creeping Jenny (Edible Varieties)
Creeping Jenny forms a dense mat of golden-green leaves that brighten shady spots. Some varieties are edible, adding mild greens to your kitchen.
It grows quickly, covering soil and preventing weeds while keeping moisture locked in. Its trailing habit also looks great in hanging baskets.
This plant thrives in both sun and part shade, making it super versatile. With its beauty and usefulness, it’s a solid ground cover choice.
8. Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes aren’t just for their tasty tubers—their vines make a lush edible ground cover. The heart-shaped leaves create a thick, green blanket.
The leaves themselves are edible and can be cooked like spinach, giving you two harvests from one plant. The tubers are a bonus later in the season.
They spread quickly, suppress weeds, and love warm weather. If you’ve got space, sweet potatoes are a fun and productive choice.
9. Miner’s Lettuce
Miner’s lettuce is a cool-season green that makes a soft, low-growing cover. Its round, tender leaves have a mild, fresh flavor.
It grows best in spring or fall, giving you plenty of edible greens without much work. You can harvest leaves regularly for salads or sautés.
This plant thrives in part shade and cooler temps, making it perfect for filling gaps when other crops slow down.
10. Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens)
Wintergreen is a slow-spreading ground cover with shiny leaves and bright red berries. Both leaves and berries are edible with a refreshing, minty taste.
It’s a great choice for shady areas where other edibles struggle. Plus, it adds year-round beauty with evergreen foliage.
Wintergreen is low-maintenance once established and brings unique flavor and charm to the garden. It’s a little slower to grow but worth the wait.
11. Wild Garlic (Ramsons)
Wild garlic spreads into a lush green carpet with broad leaves and star-shaped white flowers. It’s both beautiful and useful in the kitchen.
The leaves, flowers, and bulbs are all edible, with a mild garlic flavor that’s great in pestos, soups, or salads.
It thrives in shady, damp areas where other plants may struggle. Once it settles in, it returns year after year with little care.
12. Lamb’s Lettuce (Corn Salad)
Lamb’s lettuce is a soft, low-growing green that forms tidy rosettes. It makes a simple but effective edible ground cover.
The leaves are mild and nutty, perfect for fresh salads or as a garnish. They’re tender, easy to harvest, and packed with nutrients.
This plant prefers cooler weather, so it’s ideal for spring or fall gardens. It self-seeds easily, keeping your patch going season after season.
13. Clover (Red or White)
Clover is a classic ground cover that doubles as food and soil-builder. It forms dense mats with small leaves and pretty flowers.
Both the leaves and flowers are edible, and clover also fixes nitrogen in the soil, enriching your garden naturally.
It’s tough, low-maintenance, and grows almost anywhere, from lawns to garden beds. Clover really earns its place in a permaculture setup.
14. Purslane
Purslane is a fast-spreading edible green with succulent leaves that love the sun. It naturally pops up in many gardens as a “weed.”
The leaves are crisp, lemony, and full of omega-3s—great in salads, stir-fries, or as a crunchy snack.
It thrives in poor, dry soils and needs almost no attention. Instead of pulling it out, let purslane cover your garden and feed you.
15. Sorrel
Sorrel forms a leafy ground cover with a tangy, lemon-like flavor. Its bright green leaves add zing to soups, salads, and sauces.
It’s a perennial that comes back year after year, often one of the first greens to appear in spring.
Sorrel is easy to grow, thrives in sun or part shade, and needs little care. It’s a refreshing and useful addition to any edible garden.
16. Ground Plum (Astragalus crassicarpus)
Ground plum is a native North American plant that stays low to the ground and produces small edible pods. It’s hardy and well-suited for wild-style gardens.
The pods taste a bit like peas and can be eaten fresh or cooked. Native people have long used it as a food source.
It thrives in dry, sunny spots and helps improve soil health as a legume. A unique and practical choice for edible ground cover.
17. Alpine Strawberries
Alpine strawberries are smaller than regular ones, but they pack a punch of sweet, intense flavor. They form neat, low-growing clumps without sending out runners.
These little berries are perfect for snacking, desserts, or tossing into salads. Plus, they look adorable sprinkled across your garden beds.
Because they don’t spread aggressively, they’re easy to manage and great for edging or filling small spaces. A tidy, tasty ground cover.
18. Creeping Rosemary (Prostrate Rosemary)
Creeping rosemary trails along the ground, covering soil with aromatic evergreen foliage. It’s both ornamental and edible.
The leaves are great for flavoring roasts, stews, or even bread. It also attracts pollinators when it blooms with small blue flowers.
Hardy and drought-tolerant, creeping rosemary is perfect for sunny, dry spots. It gives beauty, fragrance, and food all in one.
19. Salad Burnet
Salad burnet is a low-growing herb with fern-like leaves and a mild cucumber flavor. It spreads nicely, making a soft edible ground cover.
The young leaves are perfect for salads, sandwiches, or as a garnish in drinks. They bring a fresh taste without overpowering dishes.
It thrives in poor soil, needs little care, and keeps producing greens throughout the season. A refreshing, reliable option for any garden.
20. Chickweed
Chickweed is a common volunteer plant that actually makes a great edible cover. It grows quickly and blankets bare soil with tender greens.
The leaves are mild, juicy, and full of vitamins—ideal for salads, smoothies, or sautéed like spinach. Many gardeners eat it instead of pulling it out.
It grows in cooler seasons, helping fill gaps when other plants aren’t producing. A humble but highly useful edible ground cover.
21. Creeping Parsley
Creeping parsley spreads low and wide, making a pretty green carpet that doubles as a kitchen staple. Its frilly leaves add texture to the garden.
The flavor is fresh and mild, perfect for garnishing soups, salads, or almost any dish. It’s always handy to have within arm’s reach.
It tolerates a bit of shade, grows quickly, and can be cut back to keep producing. A simple but super useful ground cover.
22. Cranberries
Cranberries form a trailing ground cover with tiny leaves and bright red berries. They’re stunning in fall when the fruits ripen.
The berries are tart but versatile—great for sauces, baking, or drying. Plus, they’re packed with antioxidants.
Cranberries prefer acidic, damp soil, making them a good option if you’ve got the right conditions. They’re beautiful and productive once established.
23. Creeping Phlox (Edible Varieties)
Creeping phlox is often grown for its bright, spring flowers, but some varieties have edible blooms. They spread quickly into colorful carpets.
The flowers add a mild, slightly sweet flavor and look stunning sprinkled over salads or desserts. They’re more for decoration than bulk food.
It thrives in sunny spots, covers slopes beautifully, and needs very little upkeep. An eye-catching edible ground cover.
24. Malabar Spinach (as Ground Cover)
Malabar spinach is a climbing vine, but when allowed to sprawl, it makes a thick leafy ground cover. Its glossy green leaves love warm weather.
The leaves are edible and can be cooked like spinach, holding up well in stir-fries or soups. They’re nutritious and tasty.
Since it thrives in heat, it’s perfect for summer greens when regular spinach bolts. A great choice for tropical-style gardens.
25. Roman Chamomile
Roman chamomile grows low and spreads nicely, creating a fragrant ground-hugging mat. It’s well-loved for both beauty and use.
The small, daisy-like flowers can be dried for soothing teas, while the leaves add a mild apple-like scent to the garden.
It thrives in sun, tolerates poor soils, and looks soft and inviting along paths. Both practical and pretty, it’s a charming choice.
26. Wild Strawberries (Fragaria vesca)
Wild strawberries make a lovely low ground cover, spreading naturally through runners. They’re smaller than garden strawberries but pack a rich, sweet flavor.
The plants are hardy and easygoing, filling in spaces with green leaves and tiny white flowers before producing fruit.
They thrive in part shade or sun, making them flexible for different garden spots. A simple way to cover soil while enjoying tasty little berries.
27. Good King Henry
Good King Henry is a traditional perennial green that spreads to form a useful edible cover. It was once a common kitchen garden plant.
The leaves can be cooked like spinach, while young shoots are edible too. It’s a versatile and nutrient-rich green for home gardens.
Hardy and long-lived, it comes back each year with minimal effort. If you want a low-maintenance, old-fashioned edible cover, this plant fits perfectly.
Conclusion
Edible ground covers are proof that beauty and practicality can go hand in hand. They keep your garden looking lush while protecting the soil, saving water, and crowding out weeds. And the best part? They give you fresh herbs, greens, and fruits along the way.
Whether you choose strawberries for their sweetness, thyme for its fragrance, or nasturtiums for their bright blooms, these plants make your garden floor work just as hard as the rest. Add a few to your space, and you’ll enjoy a healthier garden and a tastier harvest.
Khaja Moinuddin, a computer science graduate, finds joy in gardening and homesteading. Join him on this blog as he shares his experiences in homesteading, gardening, and composting
