For many Australian gardens, a traditional turf lawn is a fantastic option. But the reality of upkeep—mowing, watering, and fertilising—can be a hassle. Especially if your backyard is not ideal for growing turf or you simply don’t want the added work.
Luckily, lawn alternatives are a fantastic solution for anyone looking for a low-maintenance, environmentally friendly option. These alternatives thrive with minimal care, and whether you’re looking to save time on mowing or want to reduce water consumption, there’s a wide variety of ground covers and lawn alternatives to suit every garden.
Here are our favourites:
Pratia penductula
Pratia penductula, or White Star Creeper and Trailing Pratia, is a fast-growing, evergreen and dainty ground cover that creates lush mats of foliage and has delicate white flowers. You can expect the flowers to bloom in spring and summer when the weather is warm.
Pratia penductula is great as a ground cover and can be planted between stepping stones, alongside pavers, and as a garden bed border. It can also be used as a lawn alternative, but we recommend planting in an area with light foot traffic only, as heavy traffic will damage the plant and stunt its growth.
Dichondra repens
Dichondra repens, also known as Kidney Weed, is an Australian native ground cover that forms a lush carpet of small, bright green, kidney-shaped leaves – hence its common name! It has creeping root stems wherever the nodes touch the ground, making it a fast-growing plant.
Dichondra is excellent as a ground cover and for planting between pavers. It’s a good option for a lawn alternative, but only for areas that receive light foot traffic. Dichondra can also be used in gravel and rock gardens.
Viola hederacea
Viola hederacea, also known as Australian Violet or Ivy-leaf Violet, is a petite native Australian perennial plant. It forms a dense mat of intertwined foliage and produces lovely mauve, purple and white flowers.
Viola hederacea is ideal as a ground cover, border, or filler between stepping stones. It thrives in shaded areas and tolerates most soil conditions and light foot traffic. It’s an excellent option for those seeking a low-maintenance plant that brings greenery and colour into the garden. Young leaves and flowers are edible and often used as garnishes for salads. We love how Viola hederacea ties our Canterbury Violet project together.
Ophiopogon japonicus
Ophiopogon japonicus, or Mondo Grass, is an ornamental grass best known for its attractive evergreen foliage. It forms dense tufts of arching, strap-shaped, grass-like, dark green leaves, it also produces small lilac flowers during the warmer months.
It’s a hardy ground cover that is very low maintenance. It requires average medium moisture and well-drained soil and will be happy in full sun to part shade. As it grows, it will form a weed-proof mat that becomes dense carpet-like foliage. As it can tolerate low foot traffic, it’s great for ground cover, garden beds and borders, edging, underplanting shrubs and in pots and containers. If you have a particularly shady area, then this is the plant for you! Ophiopogon japonicus ‘Nana’ would also be a fantastic option.
While these alternatives offer excellent benefits, it’s important to note that they may not function exactly the same as a traditional lawn. However, if you’re seeking a low-maintenance solution, are looking to introduce colour and interest to your garden, or are aiming to add structure and definition to your lawn, ground covers offer an excellent way to achieve all of this.
