Reclaim Your Garden from Weeds with These 15 Beautiful Flowering Shrubs

Weeds are a persistent challenge for gardeners and farmers, impacting both crop yields and natural ecosystems. They cause an estimated $11 billion in annual losses to U.S. agriculture alone.1 

These unwanted plants compete fiercely with crops for essential resources like water, nutrients, and sunlight, often reducing yields. 

If you’re tired of battling weeds in your garden, it’s time to enlist some floral allies! Here are 15 flowering shrubs that not only add beauty to your landscape but also act as nature’s weed suppressors.

By creating dense ground cover and outcompeting unwanted plants, these shrubs can help you reclaim your garden from invasive weeds.

1. Creeping Phlox

Reclaim Your Garden from Weeds with These 15 Beautiful Flowering Shrubs - creeping phlox flowers dp476397590
Image Credit: thefutureis/Deposit Photos

Creeping phlox is a low-growing perennial that forms a dense mat of colorful blooms in spring. Its evergreen foliage spreads quickly, smothering weeds in its path while providing a cascade of pink, purple, or white flowers.

Planting guide:

  • Choose a sunny spot with well-draining soil
  • Space plants 12 inches apart
  • Water regularly until established
  • Trim after flowering to maintain shape

2. Hardy Plumbago

Reclaim Your Garden from Weeds with These 15 Beautiful Flowering Shrubs - hardy plumbago ss714022126
Image Credit: Kathryn Roach/Shutterstock

Hardy plumbago is a versatile groundcover that produces striking blue flowers from late summer to fall. Its spreading habit and dense foliage effectively crowd out weeds, while its red autumn foliage adds seasonal interest.

Planting guide:

  • Plant in full sun to partial shade
  • Provide well-draining soil
  • Space 12-18 inches apart
  • Water deeply but infrequently once established

3. Gro-Low Sumac

Reclaim Your Garden from Weeds with These 15 Beautiful Flowering Shrubs - gro low sumac wc
Image Credit: Harvey Barrison from Massapequa, NY, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Gro-Low Sumac is a tough, spreading shrub that excels at covering large areas and steep slopes. Its glossy green leaves turn brilliant shades of orange and red in fall, while its low-growing habit naturally suppresses weeds.

Planting guide:

  • Select a site with full sun to partial shade
  • Tolerates various soil types, including clay
  • Plant 6-8 feet apart for coverage
  • Prune in early spring if needed

4. Candytuft

Reclaim Your Garden from Weeds with These 15 Beautiful Flowering Shrubs - Candytuft flower ss1467922625
Image Credit: nnattalli/Shutterstock

Candytuft is a charming evergreen subshrub that produces a profusion of white flowers in spring. Its dense, spreading growth habit makes it an excellent weed suppressor in sunny border areas.

Planting guide:

  • Choose a full-sun location
  • Ensure well-draining, slightly alkaline soil
  • Space plants 12-18 inches apart
  • Shear back by 1/3 after flowering to maintain shape

5. Lavender

Reclaim Your Garden from Weeds with These 15 Beautiful Flowering Shrubs - ballerina lavender dp211026062
Image Credit: AlexGukBO/Deposit Photos

Lavender is a fragrant, drought-tolerant shrub that naturally deters weeds with its dense growth. Its aromatic purple flowers attract pollinators while its silvery foliage adds year-round interest to the garden.

Planting guide:

  • Plant in full sun
  • Provide excellent drainage
  • Space 2-3 feet apart
  • Prune in early spring to promote bushiness

6. Bugleweed

Reclaim Your Garden from Weeds with These 15 Beautiful Flowering Shrubs - bugleweeds dp77060693
Image Credit: rootstocks/Deposit Photos

Bugleweed is a fast-spreading groundcover that quickly forms a dense mat, effectively choking out weeds. Its attractive foliage comes in various colors, and it produces spikes of blue flowers in spring.

Planting guide:

  • Suitable for sun to partial shade
  • Tolerates a wide range of soil types
  • Plant 12 inches apart
  • Divide every 3-4 years to control spread

7. Stonecrop

Reclaim Your Garden from Weeds with These 15 Beautiful Flowering Shrubs - stonecrop dp172450954
Image Credit: romanlisovy/Deposit Photos

Stonecrop is a diverse group of succulents that thrive in poor soil and full sun. Their low-growing, spreading habit makes them excellent for suppressing weeds in rock gardens and dry areas.

Planting guide:

  • Choose a sunny, well-draining location
  • Space 6-12 inches apart, depending on variety
  • Water sparingly once established
  • Trim back in early spring if needed

8. Lady’s Mantle

Reclaim Your Garden from Weeds with These 15 Beautiful Flowering Shrubs - ladys mantle plant in garden dp 162312094 XL
Image Credit: haraldmuc/Deposit Photos

Lady’s Mantle is a charming perennial with scalloped leaves that hold water droplets like jewels. Its low-growing habit and dense foliage effectively suppress weeds while adding a touch of elegance to shady areas.

Planting guide:

  • Plant in partial to full shade
  • Provide rich, moist soil
  • Space 12-18 inches apart
  • Deadhead to prevent self-seeding

9. Pachysandra

Reclaim Your Garden from Weeds with These 15 Beautiful Flowering Shrubs - pachysandra ss2390206937
Image Credit: Orest lyzhechka/Shutterstock

Pachysandra is a popular evergreen groundcover that thrives in shady areas. Its dense, spreading growth habit makes it an excellent choice for suppressing weeds under trees and in woodland gardens.

Planting guide:

  • Plant in partial to full shade
  • Ensure rich, well-draining soil
  • Space 6-12 inches apart
  • Water regularly until established

10. Mexican Marigold

Reclaim Your Garden from Weeds with These 15 Beautiful Flowering Shrubs - French marigolds background ss1805674885
Image Credit: Printemps PhotoArt/Shutterstock

Mexican Marigold is a drought-tolerant shrub that produces masses of yellow flowers from summer to fall. Its dense growth and natural pest-repelling properties make it an excellent choice for weed suppression in sunny areas.

Planting guide:

  • Choose a full-sun location
  • Provide well-draining soil
  • Space 3-4 feet apart
  • Prune in late winter to maintain shape

11. Woolly Thyme

Reclaim Your Garden from Weeds with These 15 Beautiful Flowering Shrubs - woolly theme ss1350524393
Image Credit: Nalinne Jones/Shutterstock

Woolly Thyme is a low-growing, aromatic herb that forms a dense mat of soft, fuzzy leaves. Its ability to thrive in poor soil and withstand foot traffic makes it an excellent weed-suppressing ground cover for sunny areas.

Planting guide:

  • Plant in full sun
  • Ensure excellent drainage
  • Space 6-12 inches apart
  • Trim lightly after flowering to maintain shape

12. Sweet Woodruff

Reclaim Your Garden from Weeds with These 15 Beautiful Flowering Shrubs - sweet woodruff dp10674259
Image Credit: franky242/Deposit Photos

Sweet Woodruff is a fragrant, shade-loving groundcover that spreads quickly to form a dense carpet. Its ability to thrive in difficult conditions makes it an excellent choice for suppressing weeds in woodland gardens.

Planting guide:

  • Plant in partial to full shade
  • Provide rich, moist soil
  • Space 12 inches apart
  • Contain spread by planting in bordered areas

13. Azalea

Reclaim Your Garden from Weeds with These 15 Beautiful Flowering Shrubs - azalea ss2515370129
Image Credit: smtd4/Shutterstock

Azalea is a popular flowering shrub that comes in a wide range of sizes and colors. Low-growing varieties can be effective at suppressing weeds while adding vibrant spring color to partially shaded areas.

Planting guide:

  • Choose a location with dappled shade
  • Ensure acidic, well-draining soil
  • Space according to mature size (varies by variety)
  • Mulch to retain moisture and suppress weeds

14. Lamb’s Ear

Reclaim Your Garden from Weeds with These 15 Beautiful Flowering Shrubs - lambs ear ss1417787675
Image Credit: Khairil Azhar Junos/Shutterstock

Lamb’s Ear is a soft, woolly-leaved perennial that forms a dense mat of silvery foliage. Its low-growing habit and ability to spread make it an excellent choice for suppressing weeds in sunny, dry areas.

Planting guide:

  • Plant in full sun
  • Provide well-draining soil
  • Space 12-18 inches apart
  • Remove flower stalks to encourage denser growth

15. Trailing Lantana

Reclaim Your Garden from Weeds with These 15 Beautiful Flowering Shrubs - trailing lantana ss2499874669
Image Credit: MDG Picture/Shutterstock

Trailing Lantana is a fast-growing, drought-tolerant shrub that produces a profusion of purple flowers. Its spreading habit and dense growth make it an excellent choice for suppressing weeds in large, sunny areas.

Planting guide:

  • Choose a full-sun location
  • Ensure well-draining soil
  • Space 3-4 feet apart
  • Prune heavily every other spring to rejuvenate

These 15 flowering shrubs offer a beautiful and practical solution to weed control in your garden. By incorporating these plants into your landscape, you can reduce the time and effort spent on weed management while enhancing the visual appeal of your outdoor space.

Source:

  1. Science Direct
nancy
Author & Editor | + posts

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.