Tired of spending your precious weekend hours bent over garden beds, yanking weeds that seem to multiply overnight? You’re about to discover the laziest (and smartest) gardening strategy ever invented.
These 14 hardcore perennials don’t just grow pretty flowers – they wage chemical warfare against weeds, create dense root networks that block unwanted seeds, and form living carpets so thick that not even the toughest dandelion can break through.
Save this article for later so you don't lose it. Enter your email and I'll send it to you now—plus you'll get my favorite backyard birding tips delivered to your inbox.
BuggyBeds Creeping Thyme Seeds 20000pcs
Check Price1. Lady’s Mantle (Alchemilla mollis)
This medieval favorite creates a dense canopy of soft, scalloped leaves that blocks sunlight from reaching weed seeds below. Its clumping habit fills spaces quickly, while underground rhizomes spread to form an impenetrable barrier. Plant 18 inches apart for complete coverage by year two.
2. Catmint (Nepeta × faassenii)
The aromatic oils in catmint actually repel many weed seeds from germinating nearby. This drought-tough perennial spreads via underground runners, creating a fragrant carpet that shrugs off heat, cold, and neglect. Bonus: cats love it, but deer and rabbits avoid it completely.
3. Astilbe (Astilbe chinensis)
Perfect for shady spots where weeds love to lurk, astilbe’s dense foliage and shallow root mat prevent virtually any unwanted plants from establishing. The feathery plumes add vertical interest while the leaves create a living mulch that suppresses everything beneath.
4. Coral Bells (Heuchera species)
These colorful mounds form tight clusters that expand outward each year, choking out weeds through sheer density. Their evergreen nature means year-round weed suppression, and the shallow but extensive root system grabs every drop of moisture before weeds can access it.
5. Lamb’s Ear (Stachys byzantina)
The thick, fuzzy leaves of lamb’s ear create their own microclimate that’s too dry and shady for most weeds to survive. This Mediterranean native spreads via underground stolons, forming a silver-gray carpet that needs zero supplemental water once established. Cut back once yearly and watch it spread further.
Get our free Hummingbird Attraction Guide! Plus, we'll send you our best tips for attracting more birds to your yard.
6. Pachysandra (Pachysandra procumbens)
Native pachysandra creates the ultimate shade groundcover, spreading slowly but surely to form colonies that last for decades. Its waxy leaves shed rain directly to the root zone while blocking all light from reaching the soil surface. Nothing grows underneath this tough native.
7. Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense)
Heart-shaped leaves overlap like shingles to create complete soil coverage in woodland settings. Wild ginger’s creeping rhizomes form dense mats that physically prevent weed seeds from reaching soil, while its early spring emergence gives it a jump on competing plants.
8. Ajuga (Ajuga reptans)
This vigorous groundcover earns the nickname ‘carpet bugle’ by forming dense, low mats that spread via surface runners. Plant ajuga in areas where you want complete dominance – it will aggressively colonize bare soil and ruthlessly outcompete grass and weeds.
9. Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum)
Forming whorls of emerald leaves topped by tiny white flowers, sweet woodruff creates its own ecosystem in shady areas. The dense mat of foliage and shallow roots monopolizes nutrients and moisture, leaving nothing for opportunistic weeds to survive on.
10. Japanese Painted Fern (Athyrium niponicum)
This stunning fern creates dense clumps that expand gradually to form colonies perfect for weed suppression. The arching fronds overlap to create deep shade at soil level, while the extensive root system captures moisture and nutrients before weeds can establish.
11. Creeping Phlox (Phlox subulata)
Also called moss pink, this evergreen perennial forms dense mats of needle-like foliage that completely covers sunny slopes and rock garden areas. Its extensive root system prevents erosion while creating an impenetrable barrier against annual weeds.
12. Dead Nettle (Lamium maculatum)
The silvery leaves and vigorous spreading habit of dead nettle create a living mulch perfect for shade areas with weed problems. This mint family member releases natural compounds that inhibit seed germination nearby, while its rapid growth outpaces most aggressive weeds.
13. Bigroot Geranium (Geranium macrorrhizum)
True to its name, this hardy geranium develops massive root systems that dominate the soil ecosystem. Dense mounds of fragrant foliage expand annually, while underground rhizomes send up new shoots to fill every available gap where weeds might try to establish.
14. Barrenwort (Epimedium species)
Heart-shaped leaves emerge bronze-tinted in spring, then form dense groundcover that lasts through winter. Barrenwort’s slow but steady expansion creates colonies that persist for decades, while its early leafout gives it the advantage over spring weeds trying to gain a foothold.
The secret to maximum weed suppression lies in strategic planting. Space these perennials closer than recommended (about 75% of suggested spacing) for faster coverage. Mulch heavily the first two years while they establish, then watch your weeding load disappear as these botanical bouncers take control of your garden beds forever.