New Zealand's native ground covers provide excellent low-maintenance alternatives to lawns and imported species. These hardy plants are perfect for suppressing weeds, preventing soil erosion, and adding texture to garden beds. Many feature attractive flowers, foliage, or berries while requiring minimal care once established.
About New Zealand Native Ground Cover Plants
New Zealand native ground cover plants are essential for stabilizing soil, suppressing weeds, and providing habitat for native fauna. Popular species include Muehlenbeckia axillaris (Creeping Pohuehue), Leptinella squalida (Button Daisy), and Coprosma acerosa (Sand Coprosma). These plants are valued in landscaping for their resilience, low maintenance, and ability to thrive in a range of conditions, from coastal gardens to alpine rockeries. Many native ground covers also offer seasonal interest with attractive foliage, flowers, or berries, supporting biodiversity in both natural and cultivated settings.
Pīngao
Ficinia spiralis
Golden sand sedge that stabilizes coastal dunes with its distinctive spiral growth and cultural significance.
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Creeping Pohuehue
Muehlenbeckia axillaris
Low-growing, mat-forming ground cover ideal for rock gardens and between pavers.
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Bidibidi
Acaena inermis
A low-growing plant with attractive foliage that forms a dense mat, suitable for rockeries.
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Creeping Fuchsia
Fuchsia procumbens
Unique ground-covering fuchsia with unusual upward-facing flowers and colorful berries.
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Taupata
Coprosma repens
A hardy coastal shrub that can also be used as a ground cover in exposed sites.
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Spinifex
Spinifex sericeus
A native sand-binding grass with distinctive rolling seedheads, ideal for dune restoration.
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Native Gunnera
Gunnera monoica
Native gunnera is a tiny, mat-forming perennial ideal for damp, shaded areas and wetland gardens. It forms dense ground cover with rounded leaves and white fruit.
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Swamp Mazus
Mazus radicans
Swamp Mazus is a low-growing perennial native to New Zealand wetlands, ideal for ground cover in moist areas.
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Button Daisy
Leptinella squalida
Low-growing, mat-forming ground cover with button-like yellow flowers.
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Sand Coprosma
Coprosma acerosa
Low-growing, sand-binding shrub with wiry branches and blue berries. Excellent for dune stabilization and coastal gardens.
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Sand Daphne
Pimelea villosa
Rare, sand-binding shrub endemic to New Zealand's coastal dunes. Features soft, silvery leaves and clusters of white flowers.
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Button Fern
Pellaea rotundifolia
Compact native fern with distinctive round leaflets, perfect for rock gardens and dry shade areas.
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Shiny Karamu
Coprosma lucida
Glossy-leaved shrub with orange fruit, found in lowland forests and forest margins. Useful for ground cover and hedging.
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Twiggy Coprosma / Red-Currant Coprosma
Coprosma rhamnoides
Wiry, low-growing shrub with small leaves and orange berries. Adaptable and useful for naturalistic ground cover plantings.
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Alpine Daisy
Celmisia spectabilis
Alpine daisy with large, showy white flowers and silvery foliage, ideal for rock gardens and alpine beds.
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Mountain Daisy
Brachyglottis lagopus
A small, woolly-leaved daisy from New Zealand's alpine regions, valued for its bright yellow flowers and resilience in rock gardens.
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Golden Speargrass
Aciphylla aurea
A spiky, tussock-forming plant with striking yellow flower heads, adapted to alpine and subalpine environments.
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Akeake
Dodonaea viscosa
A tough, fast-growing shrub with unique seed capsules and striking purplish foliage forms, ideal for ground cover and shelter plantings.
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Hound's Tongue Fern
Microsorum pustulatum
A versatile epiphytic fern with leathery fronds, often found growing on trees or rocks in forests and gardens.
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