Why Ground Cover Helps Control Erosion
Bare soil erodes because nothing is holding the top layer in place when rain, runoff, or wind hits it. Ground cover plants help in two main ways: their roots physically bind soil particles together, and their foliage absorbs the force of falling rain before it can dislodge soil and carry it downhill. A dense, well-rooted mat of ground cover can meaningfully slow this process, though it’s worth being realistic — plants alone generally work best on moderate slopes and take at least one full growing season to establish enough root mass to make a real difference. Bare, eroding soil is also prone to colonization by opportunistic weeds in the meantime; our guide to why removing weeds matters covers why keeping that bare ground in check is worth the effort while a planting establishes. On a steep or actively washing-out slope, plants are usually paired with mulch, erosion-control blankets, or other physical measures while the planting establishes.
What Makes a Ground Cover Good for Erosion Control
The best erosion-control ground covers tend to share a few traits: a spreading or rhizomatous root system rather than a single taproot, fast establishment so bare soil is covered quickly, and tolerance for the often poor, compacted, or disturbed soil found on slopes and fill sites. Evergreen or semi-evergreen options have an added advantage, since they continue protecting the soil through winter when many other plants have died back.
Best Fast-Growing Ground Covers for Erosion Control
Creeping Juniper
Creeping juniper (Juniperus horizontalis) is a low, evergreen conifer that forms a dense, needled mat and is widely recommended for sunny, well-drained slopes. It tolerates poor soil and drought well once established, which makes it a common choice for banks and hillsides that get little supplemental water. It’s one of the slower options on this list to fill in completely, but its evergreen structure gives it a long working life as a slope stabilizer.
Creeping Phlox
Creeping phlox (Phlox subulata) spreads into a thick, low carpet and is frequently cited as one of the faster-establishing options for dry, infertile slopes. It puts on a showy spring bloom, which is a nice bonus on a hillside that would otherwise be purely functional, and it generally handles poor soil better than most flowering perennials.
Periwinkle (Vinca Minor)
Periwinkle, also called vinca minor, is a vigorous, trailing evergreen ground cover that spreads fast, particularly in partial shade. It’s commonly recommended for covering large, difficult areas — including dry shade under trees, where few other plants perform well — and its evergreen foliage means it keeps protecting the soil year-round. It’s worth noting that periwinkle can spread aggressively and has become invasive in some regions, so it’s worth checking local guidance before planting it at scale.
Creeping Jenny
Creeping jenny (Lysimachia nummularia) is an aggressive, moisture-loving spreader that forms a tight, low mat and is often recommended for damp spots and surface washouts. It spreads quickly, which is an asset for erosion control but also means it needs to be sited where its vigor won’t become a problem for neighboring beds.
Other Options Worth Considering
Beyond true ground covers, suckering shrubs (like dogwood or certain spireas), rhizomatous ornamental grasses, and taprooted prairie perennials are also commonly recommended for slope stabilization, especially on larger or steeper sites where a mix of plant types does more work than any single ground cover alone. If you’re weighing ground cover against these woodier options more broadly, our ground cover plants guide covers the trade-offs between fast herbaceous spreaders and slower, longer-lived shrubs like manzanita.
What Is the Fastest-Spreading Ground Cover?
There’s no single universally agreed-upon answer, since spread rate depends heavily on climate, soil, and moisture — but creeping jenny, periwinkle, and creeping phlox are among the names that come up most consistently in gardening references as fast spreaders suitable for erosion control. In practice, “fastest” is less important than “fastest for your specific site conditions,” since a plant that spreads quickly in moist, rich soil may spread far more slowly on a dry, compacted slope.
What to Plant on a Hillside to Stop Erosion
For a hillside specifically, the general recommendation is to combine fast-spreading, mat-forming ground cover with deeper-rooted companions — shrubs with suckering roots or native perennials with taproots — rather than relying on a single plant type. This mix provides both the quick surface coverage that ground cover offers and the deeper soil-binding that woodier, longer-rooted plants provide over time.
How to Stop Erosion on a Sloped Yard (Beyond Just Plants)
Plants are rarely the whole solution on an actively eroding slope, especially in the first season before roots establish. Mulch helps cushion rainfall impact and slow surface runoff, and erosion-control blankets or netting (biodegradable options are widely available) can hold soil in place on steeper grades while plants take root underneath. Diverting concentrated runoff away from the slope — with a swale, French drain, or simple grading change — also reduces the amount of water the slope has to handle in the first place, which often matters more than any single plant choice.
Planting Ground Cover on a Slope Successfully
Plant on a slope the same way you would on flat ground, with a few adjustments: stagger plants in a triangular pattern rather than straight rows to slow water flow across the surface, and consider temporary erosion matting or mulch over the soil between plants until they fill in. Water deeply but less frequently than you might on flat ground, since water tends to run off a slope before it can soak in — some gardeners build small soil basins around each plant to help water linger near the roots during establishment. Expect the first season to be the most vulnerable period; most of these ground covers need at least that long to develop the root mass that makes them effective against erosion.