Perennial ground covers with red flowers are low-growing plants that spread to form dense, vibrant carpets, adding bold color to gardens and landscapes. Their striking red blooms, ranging from bright scarlet to deep crimson, create eye-catching focal points, typically flowering in spring or summer. These perennials return annually, making them perfect for gardeners seeking low-maintenance options that provide both aesthetic appeal and practical benefits like weed suppression and soil stabilization.
These ground covers thrive in a variety of conditions, often preferring full sun but some tolerating partial shade, and they adapt to different soil types, provided drainage is adequate. Certain varieties are drought-tolerant, ideal for dry or rocky areas, while others flourish in moist environments, fitting well in borders or near water features. Their adaptability makes them suitable for diverse settings, such as rock gardens, slopes, or as edging along pathways.
The red flowers of these perennials often attract pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, enhancing garden biodiversity. The blooms may appear as clusters, spikes, or single flowers, offering texture and contrast against green or variegated foliage. Some varieties feature evergreen or semi-evergreen leaves, ensuring year-round interest even when not in bloom, which adds to their value in both ornamental and functional landscaping.
Care for these ground covers is typically straightforward. Regular watering during establishment promotes strong root development, but many become low-maintenance once settled, with some thriving in challenging conditions. Light pruning or trimming after flowering helps maintain their shape and encourages denser growth. Gardeners should monitor aggressive spreaders to prevent them from crowding out neighboring plants.
Incorporating these ground covers into landscapes creates a dramatic, vibrant effect. They can define borders, spill over walls, or fill gaps in mixed beds, adding warmth and cohesion to garden designs. By choosing varieties that match local climate and soil conditions, gardeners can achieve a lush, red-flowered carpet that transforms outdoor spaces with minimal effort year after year.
Perennial Ground Covers With Red Flowers
Red Creeping Thyme (Thymus praecox ‘Coccineus’)
- Description: Aromatic, evergreen ground cover (1-4 inches) with tiny, crimson-pink flowers in late spring to early summer.
- Conditions: Full sun, well-drained soil. Highly drought-tolerant.
- Uses: Pathways, rock gardens, lawn substitute. Attracts pollinators.
Red Barrenwort (Epimedium x rubrum)
- Description: Semi-evergreen (8-12 inches) with delicate, crimson-red flowers in early to mid-spring and heart-shaped leaves.
- Conditions: Partial to full shade, well-drained soil. Tolerates dry shade.
- Uses: Woodland gardens, under trees, shady borders.
Dianthus ‘Firewitch’ (Dianthus gratianopolitanus)
- Description: Mat-forming (6-8 inches) with fragrant, bright red-pink flowers in late spring to summer and grassy foliage.
- Conditions: Full sun, well-drained, slightly alkaline soil. Drought-tolerant.
- Uses: Rock gardens, edging, containers.
Red Dragon’s Blood Stonecrop (Sedum spurium ‘Dragon’s Blood’)
- Description: Succulent ground cover (3-6 inches) with red-pink flowers in summer and reddish foliage.
- Conditions: Full sun, well-drained, poor soil. Highly drought-tolerant.
- Uses: Rock gardens, dry slopes, green roofs.
Baby Sunrose (Aptenia cordifolia)
- Description: Succulent-like ground cover (4-6 inches) with bright red, daisy-like flowers nearly year-round in warm climates.
- Conditions: Full sun, well-drained soil. Drought-tolerant, frost-sensitive.
- Uses: Containers, mass plantings, hot/dry areas.
Red Yarrow (Achillea millefolium ‘Sassy Summer Sangria’)
- Description: Spreading perennial (6-12 inches) with dark red flowers and a white eye in early to midsummer.
- Conditions: Full sun, well-drained soil. Drought-tolerant.
- Uses: Borders, pollinator gardens, rock gardens.
Indian Pink (Spigelia marilandica)
- Description: Clumping perennial (6-12 inches) with dark red tubular flowers and yellow interiors in late spring to midsummer.
- Conditions: Full sun to partial shade, well-drained soil. Avoid overly wet areas.
- Uses: Woodland edges, shady borders, native plant gardens.
Red Creeping Phlox (Phlox subulata ‘Scarlet Flame’)
- Description: Mat-forming (4-6 inches) with vibrant red-pink flowers in spring and needle-like foliage.
- Conditions: Full sun, well-drained soil. Tolerates poor soil.
- Uses: Slopes, rock gardens, spilling over walls.
Red Hot Poker (Kniphofia ‘Rocket’s Red Glare’)
- Description: Clumping (6-12 inches) with long, vibrant red flower spikes in early to late summer.
- Conditions: Full sun, well-drained soil. Moderately drought-tolerant.
- Uses: Borders, mass plantings, pollinator gardens.
Coral Bells (Heuchera ‘Fire Alarm’)
- Description: Clumping (6-8 inches) with red foliage and small, pinkish-red flowers in spring.
- Conditions: Partial shade to full sun, well-drained soil.
- Uses: Shady borders, containers, under trees.
Red Creeping Sedum (Sedum ‘Red Carpet’)
- Description: Succulent ground cover (3-6 inches) with reddish foliage and pink-red flowers in summer.
- Conditions: Full sun, well-drained, poor soil. Highly drought-tolerant.
- Uses: Rock gardens, dry slopes, containers.
Texas Scarlet Quince (Chaenomeles speciosa ‘Texas Scarlet’)
- Description: Low-spreading shrub (12-18 inches) with bright red flowers in early spring before leaves emerge.
- Conditions: Full sun to partial shade, well-drained soil. Drought-tolerant.
- Uses: Slopes, borders, mass plantings.
Red Creeping Campanula (Campanula punctata ‘Cherry Bells’)
- Description: Spreading perennial (6-12 inches) with nodding, cherry-red bell-shaped flowers in summer.
- Conditions: Full sun to partial shade, well-drained soil. Moderately drought-tolerant.
- Uses: Borders, rock gardens, ground cover for small areas.
Red Creeping Zinnia (Zinnia angustifolia ‘Profusion Red’)
- Description: Low-growing (6-8 inches) with bright red, daisy-like flowers from summer to fall.
- Conditions: Full sun, well-drained soil. Drought-tolerant.
- Uses: Borders, containers, mass plantings.
Red Ice Plant (Delosperma ‘Jewel of Desert Garnet’)
- Description: Succulent ground cover (3-6 inches) with vibrant red-pink flowers in summer.
- Conditions: Full sun, sandy, well-drained soil. Highly drought-tolerant.
- Uses: Rock gardens, dry slopes, xeriscaping.
Red Creeping Phlox (Phlox subulata ‘Crimson Beauty’)
- Description: Mat-forming (4-6 inches) with crimson-red flowers in spring and evergreen foliage.
- Conditions: Full sun, well-drained soil. Tolerates poor soil.
- Uses: Rock gardens, slopes, spilling over walls.
Red Potentilla (Potentilla nepalensis ‘Miss Willmott’)
- Description: Spreading (6-12 inches) with rosy-red flowers in summer and strawberry-like foliage.
- Conditions: Full sun to partial shade, well-drained soil.
- Uses: Borders, cottage gardens, ground cover for small areas.
Red Creeping Sedum (Sedum ‘Voodoo’)
- Description: Succulent (3-6 inches) with deep red flowers and reddish-purple foliage in summer.
- Conditions: Full sun, well-drained, poor soil. Highly drought-tolerant.
- Uses: Rock gardens, containers, dry areas.
Red Creeping Avens (Geum coccineum ‘Borisii’)
- Description: Clumping (6-8 inches) with bright red-orange flowers in late spring to summer.
- Conditions: Full sun to partial shade, well-drained soil.
- Uses: Rock gardens, borders, edging.
Red Soapwort (Saponaria officinalis ‘Rosea Plena’)
- Description: Spreading (6-12 inches) with double, pinkish-red flowers in summer.
- Conditions: Full sun to partial shade, well-drained soil. Can be invasive.
- Uses: Cottage gardens, borders, naturalized areas.
Red Creeping Veronica (Veronica prostrata ‘Mrs. Holt’)
- Description: Mat-forming (4-6 inches) with spikes of pinkish-red flowers in late spring.
- Conditions: Full sun, well-drained soil. Drought-tolerant.
- Uses: Rock gardens, edging, slopes.
Red Coral Bells (Heuchera ‘Berry Smoothie’)
- Description: Clumping (6-8 inches) with pinkish-red flowers and reddish foliage in spring to summer.
- Conditions: Partial shade to full sun, well-drained soil.
- Uses: Shady borders, containers, under trees.
Red Creeping Betony (Stachys officinalis ‘Hummelo’)
- Description: Spreading (6-12 inches) with spikes of rosy-red flowers in summer and wrinkled green leaves.
- Conditions: Full sun to partial shade, well-drained soil.
- Uses: Borders, pollinator gardens, ground cover for small areas.
Red Rock Rose (Cistus x purpureus)
- Description: Low-growing shrub (12-18 inches) with large, reddish-pink flowers in late spring to summer.
- Conditions: Full sun, well-drained soil. Drought-tolerant.
- Uses: Slopes, rock gardens, Mediterranean-style gardens.
Red Creeping Mazus (Mazus reptans ‘Ruby’)
- Description: Fast-spreading (2-4 inches) with small, reddish-pink flowers in spring to summer and glossy green leaves.
- Conditions: Full sun to partial shade, moist, well-drained soil.
- Uses: Between stepping stones, moist areas, ground cover for small spaces.
Red Creeping Speedwell (Veronica spicata ‘Red Fox’)
- Description: Mat-forming (4-6 inches) with spikes of deep pink-red flowers in summer and compact foliage.
- Conditions: Full sun, well-drained soil. Moderately drought-tolerant.
- Uses: Rock gardens, borders, edging.
Red Creeping Geranium (Geranium x cantabrigiense ‘Biokovo Red’)
- Description: Spreading (6-8 inches) with pinkish-red flowers in late spring to early summer and aromatic foliage.
- Conditions: Full sun to partial shade, well-drained soil.
- Uses: Borders, rock gardens, under shrubs.
Red Creeping Sedum (Sedum ‘Rosy Glow’)
- Description: Succulent ground cover (3-6 inches) with rosy-red flower clusters in late summer and fleshy leaves.
- Conditions: Full sun, well-drained, poor soil. Highly drought-tolerant.
- Uses: Rock gardens, dry slopes, containers.
Red Creeping Clover (Trifolium rubens)
- Description: Low-growing (6-12 inches) with spikes of reddish-pink flowers in summer, attractive to pollinators.
- Conditions: Full sun to partial shade, well-drained soil. Tolerates poor soil.
- Uses: Lawn alternative, pollinator gardens, naturalized areas.
General Care Tips
- Watering: Water regularly during establishment; many are drought-tolerant once settled, but some prefer consistent moisture.
- Pruning: Trim after flowering to maintain shape and encourage dense growth.
- Invasiveness: Monitor aggressive spreaders to prevent overtaking other plants.
- Soil: Most prefer well-drained soil; some tolerate poor or dry conditions.
- Sunlight: Most thrive in full sun, but several adapt to partial shade.
- Check USDA hardiness zones (most are hardy in zones 4-9, some to zone 5 or 6).
- Many attract pollinators like bees, butterflies, or hummingbirds, boosting garden biodiversity.
- Pair with white, yellow, or purple ground covers for striking contrast in garden designs.