Gardening can significantly improve your health. A meta-analysis found that regular gardening activities lead to numerous health benefits, including reductions in depression, anxiety, and body mass index, as well as increases in life satisfaction and quality of life.1 As more people discover the therapeutic effects of tending to plants, the desire to create beautiful, lush gardens has grown.
However, achieving a full and vibrant flowerbed can be challenging, especially when dealing with sparse areas or gaps. This is where filler plants come to the rescue.
Here are 15 of the best filler plants that can transform your garden into a thriving oasis while you reap the health benefits of gardening.
1. Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima)
Sweet alyssum is a gardener’s secret weapon when it comes to filling gaps in flowerbeds. This low-growing annual creates a carpet of tiny, fragrant flowers that spill over edges and soften harsh lines. With its ability to bloom continuously from spring to fall, sweet alyssum is a reliable choice for long-lasting color.
Available in shades of white, pink, and purple, this versatile plant thrives in both full sun and partial shade. Its honey-scented blooms are also a magnet for pollinators, making it a win-win for both your garden’s aesthetics and ecosystem.
Plant sweet alyssum in well-draining soil and watch it spread up to 12 inches wide, quickly filling in those pesky bare spots.
2. Coleus (Plectranthus scutellarioides)
When it comes to adding a splash of color to shady spots, coleus is hard to beat. This tropical beauty boasts a stunning array of foliage colors, from bold reds and purples to lime greens and yellows. With its fast growth rate and bushy habit, coleus can quickly fill in gaps and add visual interest to any flowerbed.
While traditionally grown as a shade-loving plant, many modern coleus varieties can tolerate full sun, making them incredibly versatile. These plants can reach heights of 1 to 3 feet, depending on the variety, and spread up to 2 feet wide.
Regular pinching encourages bushier growth, ensuring your coleus stays full and lush throughout the growing season.
3. Million Bells (Calibrachoa)
If you’re looking for a plant that packs a punch in terms of color and flower power, look no further than calibrachoa, also known as million bells. This prolific bloomer produces masses of small, petunia-like flowers in a rainbow of colors, from vibrant pinks and purples to sunny yellows and oranges.
Calibrachoa’s trailing habit makes it perfect for filling in gaps at the front of borders or spilling over the edges of raised beds. These heat-tolerant plants bloom non-stop from spring until frost, requiring minimal deadheading to keep them looking their best.
With a spread of up to 2 feet, a few strategically placed calibrachoa plants can quickly transform bare patches into a sea of color.
4. Ornamental Sweet Potato Vine (Ipomoea batatas)
For rapid coverage and striking foliage, the ornamental sweet potato vine is a top choice. This vigorous grower can spread up to 6 feet in a single season, making it ideal for filling large gaps or cascading over walls and containers.
Available in a range of colors including lime green, deep purple, and variegated varieties, these plants add instant drama to any garden setting.
While the ornamental sweet potato vine doesn’t produce edible tubers, its heart-shaped leaves and trailing habit make it a valuable addition to the garden. These plants thrive in full sun to partial shade and are remarkably heat and drought-tolerant once established. Their fast growth rate means you’ll see results quickly, transforming bare spots into lush, leafy expanses in no time.
5. Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum)
For a low-maintenance, drought-tolerant option that works wonders in filling gaps between stepping stones or at the front of borders, creeping thyme is an excellent choice. This aromatic herb forms a dense mat of tiny leaves, punctuated by delicate pink or purple flowers in summer.
Not only does creeping thyme provide visual interest, but it also releases a pleasant fragrance when stepped on, making it perfect for high-traffic areas. Growing only 2 to 4 inches tall but spreading up to 18 inches wide, this hardy perennial is a champion at suppressing weeds and retaining soil moisture.
Its ability to tolerate light foot traffic makes it an ideal choice for filling spaces between pavers or along garden paths.
6. Verbena (Verbena x hybrida)
Verbena is a versatile filler plant that offers both beautiful blooms and a spreading habit. Available in a wide range of colors, from soft pastels to vibrant purples and reds, verbena produces clusters of small flowers that attract butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden.
These heat-loving plants thrive in full sun and can spread up to 3 feet wide, quickly filling in bare spots in your flowerbed. Verbena is known for its long blooming period, often flowering from spring until the first frost.
Regular deadheading encourages continuous blooming, ensuring your garden stays colorful throughout the growing season.
7. Stonecrop (Sedum spp.)
Sedum, also known as stonecrop, is a succulent plant that comes in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, making it an excellent choice for filling gaps in sunny, well-draining areas. From low-growing groundcovers to taller, upright varieties, there’s a sedum for every garden need.
These drought-tolerant plants are prized for their fleshy leaves and star-shaped flowers that bloom from late summer to fall. Sedums are incredibly low-maintenance and can thrive in poor soil conditions where other plants might struggle.
With some varieties spreading up to 3 feet wide, they’re excellent for covering bare ground and adding texture to your garden design.
8. Lantana (Lantana camara)
Lantana is a heat-loving, drought-tolerant plant that’s perfect for filling sunny spots in your garden. Known for its clusters of small, multicolored flowers that bloom in shades of yellow, orange, red, and pink, lantana adds a tropical flair to any flowerbed.
This fast-growing plant can spread up to 6 feet wide in a single season, quickly covering bare patches with its dense foliage and vibrant blooms. Lantana is not only attractive to humans but also to butterflies and hummingbirds, making it a valuable addition to pollinator gardens.
Its ability to bloom continuously from spring until frost ensures long-lasting color in your garden.
9. Creeping Phlox (Phlox subulata)
For a stunning spring display that fills in gaps and creates a carpet of color, creeping phlox is hard to beat. This low-growing perennial produces masses of small, star-shaped flowers in shades of pink, purple, and white, completely covering the plant’s needle-like foliage.
Creeping phlox spreads up to 2 feet wide and forms a dense mat only 4 to 6 inches tall, making it perfect for rock gardens, slopes, or the front of borders. Its evergreen foliage provides year-round interest, while its spring blooms create a breathtaking display.
Once established, creeping phlox is drought-tolerant and requires minimal maintenance, making it an excellent choice for busy gardeners.
10. Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans)
Ajuga, commonly known as bugleweed, is a fast-spreading groundcover that’s perfect for filling in shady areas of your garden. With its attractive foliage that comes in shades of deep green, bronze, and purple, ajuga adds interest even when not in bloom.
In spring, ajuga produces spikes of blue, purple, or white flowers that rise above the foliage, creating a stunning display. This hardy plant can spread up to 2 feet wide and forms a dense mat that effectively suppresses weeds.
It is also deer-resistant and can tolerate light foot traffic, making it an excellent choice for filling spaces between stepping stones or in woodland gardens.
11. Moss Rose (Portulaca grandflora)
Portulaca, also known as moss rose, is a heat-loving annual that’s perfect for filling in hot, dry areas of your garden. This low-growing plant produces vibrant, rose-like flowers in a range of colors, including pink, yellow, orange, and red. Its succulent foliage helps it retain moisture, making it incredibly drought-tolerant.
Spreading up to 12 inches wide, portulaca forms a dense mat that’s excellent for covering bare ground or spilling over the edges of containers. The flowers open in full sun and close in the evening or on cloudy days, creating an ever-changing display in your garden.
With its ability to thrive in poor soil and hot conditions, portulaca is an excellent choice for filling difficult spots where other plants might struggle.
12. Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)
For a touch of silvery elegance in your garden, consider artemisia as a filler plant. This hardy perennial is prized for its finely textured, silver-gray foliage that adds a soft, ethereal quality to flowerbeds. While some varieties can grow quite tall, there are also low-growing cultivars perfect for filling gaps.
Artemisia is incredibly drought-tolerant and thrives in full sun and well-draining soil. Its aromatic foliage is deer-resistant and can help repel certain garden pests. With some varieties spreading up to 3 feet wide, artemisia can quickly fill in bare spots and provide a beautiful contrast to more colorful plants in your garden.
13. Coral Bells (Heuchera spp.)
Heuchera, commonly known as coral bells, is a versatile perennial that’s perfect for adding year-round interest to your garden. Prized for its colorful foliage that comes in shades of purple, red, silver, and lime green, heuchera can brighten up shady spots and fill in gaps with ease.
These low-growing plants form neat mounds up to 2 feet wide, making them ideal for edging or filling in the front of borders. In late spring to early summer, heuchera produces delicate spikes of tiny bell-shaped flowers that attract hummingbirds.
With their ability to tolerate a range of light conditions and their evergreen nature in many climates, heucheras are an excellent choice for adding consistent color and texture to your garden.
14. Pinks (Dianthus spp.)
Dianthus, also known as pinks, is a charming addition to any garden and an excellent filler plant for sunny spots. These low-growing perennials or biennials produce masses of fragrant, fringed flowers in shades of pink, red, and white, often with contrasting eye zones.
With a compact growth habit spreading up to 12 inches wide, dianthus is perfect for edging or filling in gaps at the front of borders. Their blue-green foliage provides interest even when the plants are not in bloom.
It is known for its long blooming period and ability to rebloom if deadheaded regularly, ensuring your garden stays colorful throughout the growing season.
15. Lamb’s Ear (Stachys byzantina)
For a soft, tactile element in your garden, consider lamb’s ear as a filler plant. This perennial is beloved for its velvety, silver-gray leaves that are irresistibly touchable. Growing in low mounds that spread up to 18 inches wide, lamb’s ear is excellent for filling in gaps and adding texture to your flowerbeds.
While primarily grown for its foliage, lamb’s ear does produce tall spikes of purple flowers in summer, adding vertical interest to the garden. This drought-tolerant plant thrives in full sun and well-draining soil, making it a low-maintenance option for busy gardeners. Its fuzzy leaves are also deer-resistant, making it a practical choice for gardens in areas with high deer populations.
With these 15 fantastic filler plants at your disposal, those bare patches in your garden will soon be a thing of the past. From colorful blooms to interesting foliage, there’s a perfect filler for every garden style and condition.
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Nancy has been a plant person from an early age. That interest blossomed into a bachelor’s in biology from Elmira College and a master’s degree in horticulture and communications from the University of Kentucky. Nancy worked in plant taxonomy at the University of Florida and the L. H. Bailey Hortorium at Cornell University, and wrote and edited gardening books at Rodale Press in Emmaus, PA. Her interests are plant identification, gardening, hiking, and reading.