25 low-growing perennials for garden borders and edges
Updated: Jun 2, 2023
When it comes to adding color and dimension to your garden, short perennials are the way to go.
Low-growing flowers are perfect for creating an exciting and layered look in your garden. Exactly what you need to draw your eye through your garden and give every flower a chance to shine.
All of the plants in this low-growing list can be planted along borders, walkways, and paths, and you can use them to fill in gaps between taller plants, making your garden look fuller. Most are under 16 inches (40 cm).
So what is a good low-growing border plant? Check out my list of the best 25 for your garden below.
1. Lady’s mantle (Alchemilla epipsila)
Height: 20-30 cm (8-12 inches)
Sun exposure: Part shade to full shade
Type of soil: Moist and well-drained
Blooms: Mid to late spring
2. Snowdrop Anemone (Anemone sylvestris)
Height: 30 cm (12 inches)
Sun exposure: Part shade to full shade
Type of soil: Moist and well-drained
Blooms: Late spring to early summer
3. Sea Pink/Thrift (Armeria maritima)
Height: 10-20 cm (4-8 inches)
Sun exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Type of soil: Well-drained
Blooms: Late spring to early summer
4. European Wild Ginger (Asarum europaeum)
Height: 10-15 cm (4-6 inches)
Sun exposure: Part shade to full shade
Type of soil: Moist and well-drained
Blooms: Early to mid spring
5. Bergenia (Bergenia different species)
Height: 30 cm (12 inches)
Sun exposure: Part shade to full shade
Type of soil: Moist and well-drained
Blooms: Early to mid spring
6. Siberian Bugloss (Brunnera macrophylla)
Height: 40 cm (16 inches)
Sun exposure: Part shade to full shade
Type of soil: Moist and well-drained
Blooms: Early to mid spring
7. Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris)
Height: 20-30 cm (8-12 inches)
Sun exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Type of soil: Moist and well-drained
Blooms: Early to mid spring
8. Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis 'Rosea')
Height: 10-20 cm (4-8 inches)
Sun exposure: Partial shade to full shade
Type of soil: Moist and well-drained
Blooms: Early to mid spring
9. Stork's Bill (Erodium guttatum)
Height: 10 cm (4 inches)
Sun exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Type of soil: Well-drained
Blooms: Early to mid spring
10. Jolly Jewel Lilac (Geranium cinereum)
Height: 20 cm (8 inches)
Sun exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Type of soil: Well-drained
Blooms: Early to mid spring
11. Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spp.)
This might be too tall for what you’re going for, but dicentra can work as a low-growing perennial depending on what grows behind it and next to it.
In my garden, I use it as a middle-level plant. It’s a hardy perennial that produces arching sprays of pink, red, or white, heart-shaped flowers, and it’s one of the first plants to bloom in early spring.
Height: 30-90 cm (1-3 feet)
Sun exposure: Partial to full shade
Soil type: moist, well-drained
Blooms: mid-to-late spring to early summer
12. Mondo Grass or Lily Turf (Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Niger')
Height: 20 cm (8 inches)
Sun exposure: Part shade to full shade
Type of soil: Moist and well-drained
Blooms: Early to mid spring
13. Knotweeds 'Darjeeling Red' (Persicaria affine 'Darjeerling Red')
Height: 20 cm (8 inches)
Sun exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Type of soil: Moist and well-drained
Blooms: Early to mid spring
14. Moss Phlox (Phlox subulata 'Emerald Cushion Blue')
Phlox subulata is a creeping phlox, an evergreen perennial that blooms in the spring. You’ll enjoy blue flowers and attract hummingbirds and butterflies as pollinators to your garden.
Height: 10-15 cm (4-6 inches)
Sun exposure: Part shade to full shade
Type of soil: Well-drained
Blooms: Early to late spring
15. Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans)
Height: 10-15 cm (4-6 inches)
Sun exposure: Part shade to full shade
Type of soil: Moist and well-drained
Blooms: Early to late spring
16. Blue-Eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium spp.)
This hardy perennial grass gives you small, blue, or purple, star-shaped flowers.
Height: 15-30 cm (6-12 inches)
Sun exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil type: well-drained
Blooms: late spring into early summer
17. Spotted Deadnettle (Lamium maculatum)
Height: 20 cm (8 inches)
Sun exposure: Partial shade to full shade
Type of soil: Moist and well-drained
Blooms: Early to mid spring
18. Blue Star Creeper (Isotoma fluviatilis)
Blue star creeper is a low-growing perennial flowering plant with small, blue star-shaped flowers.
Height: 7-15 cm (3-6 inches)
Sun exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil type: well-drained
Blooms: Spring through to fall
19. Coral Bells (Heuchera)
Height: 40 cm (16 inches)
Sun exposure: Partial shade to full shade
Type of soil: Moist and well-drained
Blooms: Early to mid spring
20. False Goat's Beard (Astilbe spp.)
This hardy perennial produces plumes of feathery, pink, red, white, or purple flowers.
Height: 30-90 cm (1-3 feet)
Sun exposure: Partial shade
Soil type: moist, well-drained
Blooms: Late spring through to fall
21. Autumn Fern (Dryopteris erythrosora)
Looking for gorgeous color in your borders? Try autumn fern. It’s an evergreen fern with coppery-red new fronds that turn green as they mature.
Height: 30-90 cm (1-3 feet)
Sun exposure: Partial to full shade
Soil type: moist, well-drained
22. Bishop's Hat / Barrenwort (Epimedium spp.)
Bishop’s hat (or Barrenwort) is a perennial that produces small, delicate pink, red or white flowers.
Height: 15-30 cm (6-12 inches)
Sun exposure: Partial to full shade
Soil type: moist, well-drained
Blooms: Spring
23. Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)
Bearberry is a hardy perennial that produces small, bell-shaped flowers in shades of pink, red, or white.
Height: 15-30 cm (6-12 inches)
Sun exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil type: well-drained
Blooms: Early spring to early summer
24. Blanket Flower (Gaillardia spp.)
A hardy perennial that produces large, daisy-like flowers in shades of red, orange, and yellow.
Height: 30-60 cm (1-2 feet)
Sun exposure: Full sun
Soil type: well-drained
Blooms: Early to late summer
25. Toad Lilly (Tricyrtis hirta)
Toad Lilly is a hardy perennial that produces clusters of small, orchid-like flowers in shades of white, pink, and purple. The foliage is often variegated or spotted, adding to its ornamental appeal.
This low-growing perennial also has a special place in our garden — it was the first plant we added when we moved into this house.
Height: 60-90 cm (2-3 feet)
Sun exposure: Partial to full shade
Soil type: humus-rich, well-drained.
Blooms: Late summer to early autumn
Ready to plant?
Your borders, edges, and walkways are going to look so beautiful. Can you picture it?
Whether you’re starting these low-growing perennials from seed or planting ready-to-flower plants from a nursery, I’m sure you will love them.
Whichever plants you choose, be sure to include pollinator-friendly flowering plants. Here’s my list of some of the best to get you started.
If you have questions about what works in your area, drop me a line or contact your local gardening nerd for help. And don't forget to finish your borders with the best perennials for the middle level and ones that add pops of color to the backs.
And when you do plant these perennials in your borders, tag me on Instagram. I’d love to see how they look in your space.
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