Transforming traditional lawns into vibrant, low-maintenance landscapes is gaining momentum across New Zealand. By embracing NoMow groundcovers—native plants that eliminate the need for regular mowing—you can create a lush, eco-friendly garden that thrives naturally. These indigenous groundcovers not only reduce upkeep but also offer significant environmental benefits, such as supporting local biodiversity and conserving water.

Why Choose NoMow Groundcovers?

Traditional lawns demand frequent mowing, watering, and fertilising, which can strain both your schedule and the environment. By opting for NoMow groundcovers, you:

• Eliminate Lawn Mowing: Enjoy a perpetually neat landscape without the constant need for mowing.

• Support Native Ecosystems: Provide habitats for local wildlife and promote biodiversity.

• Conserve Resources: Reduce water consumption and minimise the use of fertilisers and pesticides.

Top NoMow Native Groundcovers for Your Garden

Here are some exceptional New Zealand native groundcovers to consider:

1. Leptinella squalida ('Platt's Black')

   • Description: A mat-forming perennial with delicate, fern-like foliage that adds texture and suppresses weeds.

   • Highlights: Ideal between stepping stones and suitable for low-traffic lawns. 

2. Lobelia angulata

   • Description: A creeping herbaceous plant with small, star-shaped white flowers, perfect for moist, shaded areas.

   • Highlights: Thrives in damp conditions and adds delicate beauty to shaded spots.

3. Selliera radicans

   • Description: A prostrate, creeping plant with glossy leaves and small white flowers, forming a dense mat.

   • Highlights: Tolerates coastal conditions and is excellent for stabilizing sandy soils.

4. Acaena inermis

   • Description: A low-growing plant with attractive bronze foliage and burr-like seed heads.

   • Highlights: Adds unique color contrast and texture to garden beds.

5. Scleranthus biflorus

   • Description: Forms a dense, cushion-like mat of bright green foliage, resembling moss.

   • Highlights: Ideal for rock gardens and areas requiring a soft, carpet-like appearance.

6. Fuchsia procumbens

   • Description: A creeping fuchsia with small, colorful flowers and edible berries.

   • Highlights: Provides seasonal interest with its unique blooms and fruits.

7. Mazus radicans

   • Description: A fast-spreading groundcover with small green leaves and delicate purple flowers.

   • Highlights: Thrives in damp areas and is excellent for filling gaps between pavers.

8. Muehlenbeckia axillaris

   • Description: A wiry, creeping plant with small, round leaves, forming a dense mat.

   • Highlights: Tolerates a range of conditions and is effective for erosion control.

9. Pimelea prostrata

   • Description: A low-growing shrub with small blue-green leaves and white to pink flowers.

   • Highlights: Drought-tolerant and adds subtle color to the landscape.

10. Coprosma 'Flat Freddy'

    • Description: A prostrate form of Coprosma with glossy green leaves, creating a dense groundcover.

    • Highlights: Durable and withstands coastal conditions well.

Expanding your garden with a diverse array of NoMow native groundcovers can further enhance its ecological value and aesthetic appeal. Below are additional New Zealand native groundcovers from the specified genera, excluding those already highlighted in the top 10 list:​

Leptinella Species

• Leptinella dioica

  • Description: A mat-forming perennial with finely divided, fern-like green foliage and small, button-like flowers.​

  • Highlights: Thrives in a variety of conditions, including coastal areas, and is effective for erosion control.​

• Leptinella pusilla

  • Description: A diminutive groundcover with delicate, feathery leaves forming a dense carpet.​

  • Highlights: Ideal for filling gaps between pavers or as a lawn substitute in low-traffic areas.​

Lobelia Species

• Lobelia perpusilla

  • Description: A tiny, creeping herb with small green leaves and delicate pale blue to violet flowers.​

  • Highlights: Prefers moist, shaded environments and is suitable for rock gardens or as an underplanting in shaded borders.​

Selliera Species

• Selliera rotundifolia

  • Description: Similar to Selliera radicans but distinguished by its rounder leaves, forming a dense, low mat.​

  • Highlights: Tolerates coastal conditions and is excellent for stabilizing sandy soils.​

Acaena Species

• Acaena novae-zelandiae

  • Description: Known as bidibid, this species has creeping stems with green leaves and produces burr-like seed heads.​

  • Highlights: Effective for erosion control on slopes and tolerates a range of soil types.​

• Acaena microphylla

  • Description: A compact groundcover with small, reddish-green leaves and reddish burrs.​

  • Highlights: Adds color contrast to gardens and is suitable for edging or as a filler between stepping stones.​

Scleranthus Species

• Scleranthus uniflorus

  • Description: Similar to Scleranthus biflorus, forming a dense, cushion-like mat of bright green foliage.​

  • Highlights: Ideal for rock gardens and areas requiring a soft, carpet-like appearance.​

Fuchsia Species

• Fuchsia excorticata (Tree Fuchsia)

  • Description: Although typically a small tree, when pruned, it can serve as a sprawling groundcover with attractive peeling bark and purple flowers.​

  • Highlights: Attracts native birds and adds unique texture to the garden.​

Mazus Species

• Mazus pumilio

  • Description: A low-growing, mat-forming plant with tiny green leaves and small purple flowers.​

  • Highlights: Thrives in damp areas and is excellent for filling gaps between pavers.​

Muehlenbeckia Species

• Muehlenbeckia complexa (Wire Vine)

  • Description: A vigorous, twining plant with wiry stems and small, round leaves, forming a dense mat.​

  • Highlights: Tolerates coastal conditions and is effective for erosion control.​

Pimelea Species

• Pimelea prostrata

  • Description: A low-growing shrub with small blue-green leaves and white to pink flowers.​

  • Highlights: Drought-tolerant and adds subtle color to the landscape.​

Coprosma Species

• Coprosma acerosa

  • Description: A prostrate shrub with intertwining branches and small, needle-like leaves, often with an orange hue.​

  • Highlights: Thrives in coastal environments and provides ground stabilization.​

• Coprosma kirkii

  • Description: A spreading groundcover with small, dark green leaves and a dense growth habit.​

  • Highlights: Ideal for suppressing weeds and covering large areas.​

Other NZ Native Groundcovers to consider:

Expanding your garden with a diverse array of NoMow native groundcovers can further enhance its ecological value and aesthetic appeal. Below are additional New Zealand native groundcovers from the specified genera, excluding those already highlighted in the top 10 list:​

Leptinella Species

• Leptinella calcarea

  • Description: Endemic to New Zealand, particularly found in regions like northwest Nelson. 

  • Highlights: Thrives in rocky, well-drained soils, making it suitable for alpine gardens and rockeries.​

• Leptinella dioica

  • Description: Commonly known as hairless leptinella, this species forms dense mats of fern-like foliage and is native to New Zealand.

  • Highlights: Effective as a groundcover in various garden settings, including between stepping stones and in low-traffic lawn areas.​

• Leptinella filiformis

  • Description: Also known as slender button daisy, it forms a low mat with small, feathery leaves and tiny white flowers. ​

  • Highlights: Prefers open, bare ground and is suitable for areas requiring delicate groundcover.

• Leptinella nana

  • Description: Known as pygmy button daisy, this diminutive herb forms small patches with green leaves and minute yellow-green flowers. 

  • Highlights: Ideal for small gardens or as an accent in rock gardens; requires careful management due to its conservation status.​

• Leptinella pusilla

  • Description: A tiny, creeping herb with delicate, feathery leaves forming a dense carpet. ​

  • Highlights: Ideal for filling gaps between pavers or as a lawn substitute in low-traffic areas.​

• Leptinella rotundata

  • Description: Distinguished by its round leaves, this species is one of New Zealand's rarer native plants, occupying isolated cliff habitats along the west coast of Auckland and Northland. ​

  • Highlights: Performs best in positions with some open shade during the hottest periods of the day.​

Lobelia Species

• Lobelia perpusilla

  • Description: A tiny, creeping herb with small green leaves and delicate pale blue to violet flowers.​

  • Highlights: Prefers moist, shaded environments and is suitable for rock gardens or as an underplanting in shaded borders.​

Selliera Species

• Selliera rotundifolia

  • Description: Similar to Selliera radicans but distinguished by its rounder leaves, forming a dense, low mat.​

  • Highlights: Tolerates coastal conditions and is excellent for stabilizing sandy soils.​

Acaena Species

• Acaena novae-zelandiae

  • Description: Known as bidibid, this species has creeping stems with green leaves and produces burr-like seed heads.​

  • Highlights: Effective for erosion control on slopes and tolerates a range of soil types.​

• Acaena microphylla

  • Description: A compact groundcover with small, reddish-green leaves and reddish burrs.​

  • Highlights: Adds color contrast to gardens and is suitable for edging or as a filler between stepping stones.​

• Acaena inermis

  • Description: Commonly known as the spineless Acaena, this mat-forming perennial is endemic to New Zealand. ​

  • Highlights: Its cultivar 'Purpurea' is widely available and valued for its ornamental qualities. ​

• Acaena dumicola

  • Description: A low-growing plant distinctive for its prostrate branches, each ending in three bluish-green leaflets with minutely toothed margins. ​

  • Highlights: Often found beneath thickets of Matagouri (Discaria toumatou), it thrives in scrubby and rocky habitats at altitudes between 300 and 1200 meters in New Zealand's South Island. ​

• Acaena rorida

  • Description: A mat-forming perennial known only from grassy uplands on the Mangaohane Plateau in the northwestern part of the Ruahine Range in New Zealand's North Island. 

  • Highlights: Distinguished by its purple or dull green foliage and sessile fruits often hidden among the leaves, it flourishes in moist, stable soils within hollows in tussocklands and ravine floors. ​

Scleranthus Species

• Scleranthus uniflorus

  • Description: Similar to Scleranthus biflorus, forming a dense, cushion-like mat of bright green foliage.​

  • Highlights: Ideal for rock gardens and areas requiring a soft, carpet-like appearance.​

Fuchsia Species

• Fuchsia excorticata (Tree Fuchsia)

  • Description: Although typically a small tree, when pruned, it can serve as a sprawling groundcover with attractive peeling bark and purple flowers.​

  • Highlights: Attracts native birds and adds unique texture to the garden.​

Mazus Species

• Mazus pumilio

  • Description: A low-growing, mat-forming plant with tiny green leaves and small purple flowers.​

  • Highlights: Thrives in damp areas and is excellent for filling gaps between pavers.​

Muehlenbeckia Species

• Muehlenbeckia complexa (Wire Vine)

  • Description: A vigorous, twining plant with wiry stems and small, round leaves, forming a dense mat.​

  • Highlights: Tolerates coastal conditions and is effective for erosion control.​

Pimelea Species

• Pimelea prostrata

  • Description: A low-growing shrub with small blue-green leaves and white to pink flowers.​

  • Highlights: Drought-tolerant and adds subtle color to the landscape.​

Coprosma Species

• Coprosma acerosa

  • Description: A prostrate shrub with intertwining branches and small, needle-like leaves, often with an orange hue.​

  • Highlights: Thrives in coastal environments and provides ground stabilization.​

• Coprosma kirkii

  • Description: A spreading groundcover with small, dark green leaves and a dense growth habit.​

  • Highlights: Ideal for suppressing weeds and covering large areas.​

Incorporating these native groundcovers into your garden can create a diverse, resilient, and low-maintenance landscape that supports local ecosystems and reduces the need for traditional lawn care.

Implementing NoMow Groundcovers

Transitioning to a NoMow landscape involves selecting the right native groundcovers suited to your local climate and soil conditions. For more information on various NoMow plant options and guidance on incorporating them into your garden.

By embracing NoMow native groundcovers, you can create a beautiful, sustainable garden that honors New Zealand's rich botanical heritage while reducing maintenance and environmental impact.