Name: Thymus serpyllum Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: To 10 inches tall Zones: 4-9 Buy It: Thyme Plant ($13, The Home Depot) This spreading perennial isn’t prone to invasiveness. Still, it can get a little exuberant when grown in optimal conditions with lots of moisture. Name: Galium odoratum Growing Conditions: Part to full shade and moist, well-drained soil Size: To 12 inches tall Zones: 4-8 Buy It: Sweet Woodruff Seeds ($8, Etsy) Name: Leptinella squalida ‘Platt’s Black’ Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil Size: 6 inches tall Zones: 4-7 Buy It: Brass Buttons ($16, Walmart) Name: Lamium maculatum Growing Conditions: Full shade and moist, well-drained soil Size: 8 inches tall Zones: 4-8 Buy It: Purple Chablis Dead Nettle ($28, The Home Depot) Just beware, this perennial can quickly get out of hand so it’s best grown where it can be controlled, such as in a bed bordered on all sides by concrete or other hardscaping. And it’s considered invasive in some regions of the country, so check if it’s a problem before planting. Name: Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’ Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and moist soil Size: 3 inches tall Zones: 3-7 Buy It: Goldilocks Creeping Jenny Name: Epimedium grandiflorum Growing Conditions: Part to full shade and well-drained soil Size: 8 inches tall Zones: 3-9 Buy It: Perennial Farm Marketplace Epimedium Name: Convallaria majalis Growing Conditions: Shade and well-drained soil Size: 8 inches tall Zones: 3-8 Buy It: Van Zyverden Lily of the Valley ($3, Walmart) Name: Cornus canadensis Growing Conditions: Full shade and well-drained soil Size: To 6 inches tall Zones: 2-7 Buy It: Bunchberry Name: Asarum europaeum Growing Conditions: Part to full shade and well-drained soil Size: To 4 inches tall Zones: 4-8 Buy It: Bare-Root Wild Ginger Plants ($8, Etsy) Name: Alchemilla mollis Growing Conditions: Sun to part shade and moist, well-drained soil Size: To 18 inches tall Zones: 4-7 Buy It: Lady’s Mantle Perennial Plants ($14, Etsy) Name: Sedum sp. Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: 3 inches tall Zones: 4-9 Buy It: Gold Moss Sedum Name: Sempervivum varieties Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: 4 inches tall Zones: 3-9 Buy It: Outdoor Live Plant Hens N Chicks Jar ($16, Walmart) Name: Saponaria x lempergii ‘Max Frei’ Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and well-drained soil Size: To 1 foot tall Zones: 3-7 Buy It: Soapwort Perennial ($3, Etsy) Name: Oenothera speciosa Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: 2 feet tall Zones: 5-9 Buy It: Showy Evening Primrose (from $3, Etsy) Name: Armeria maritima Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: To 8 inches tall Zones: 3-9 Buy It: Armeria Maritima Alba ($4, Etsy) Name: Phlox subulata Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil Size: To 8 inches tall Zones: 3-9 Buy It: Outdoor Live Plant Phlox Subulata ($8, Walmart) Name: Waldsteinia fragarioides Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and moist, well-drained soil Size: 1 foot tall Zones: 4-8 Buy It: Waldsteinia Fragarioides ($13, Bluestone Perennials) Name: Veronica prostrata Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: To 1 foot tall Zones: 4-8 Buy It: Veronica ‘Tidal Pool’ ($14, Jackson & Perkins) Name: Geranium sanguineum Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in well-drained soil Size: 1 foot tall Zones: 4-8 Buy It: Bloody Cranesbill Hardy Perennial Plant Name: Hakonechloa macra Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in moist, well-drained soil Size: To 2 feet tall Zones: 5-9 Buy It: Golden Yellow Foliage Gold Japanese Forest Grass ($19, The Home Depot) Name: Ceratostigma plumbaginoides Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and well-drained soil Size: To 12 inches tall Zones: 5-9 Buy It: Leadwort Name: Ophiopogon japonicus Growing Conditions: Shade and moist, well-drained soil Size: To 24 inches tall, depending on variety Zones: 6-10 Buy It: Mondo Grass ($12, The Home Depot) Name: Cerastium tomentosum Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: 3 inches tall Zones: 3-7 Buy It: Show in Summer Seeds ($2, Etsy) Name: Stachys byzantina Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: To 18 inches tall Zones: 4-7 Buy It: Lamb’s Ear Seeds ($4, Etsy) Name: Iris cristata Growing Conditions: Part to full shade in moist, well-drained soil Size: 9 inches tall Zones: 3-9 Buy It: Dwarf Crested Iris Plants ($18, Etsy)
