Hydrangeas are arresting on their own , but add the right ground covers can take your garden ’s charm up a notch . I love how these low - growing plant fill in the space around hydrangea , creating a exuberant , soft carpet that make the whole area feel full and more inviting .
It ’s like giving your garden a natural , cozy background that highlights those big , beautiful blooms . These ground covers work hard to keep weeds down while adding texture and colour all time of year long .
Here are 17 great option that pair perfectly with hydrangea to hike your garden ’s style and comfort .
1. Creeping Thyme
The . was makeed by screen The low - growing wont prevents it from competing with hydrangeas for attention . When crushed underfoot , it let go of a wonderful herbal scent that adds another sensory property to your garden . The purple , pink , or white blooms complement hydrangeas perfectly while its drought - tolerant nature means less watering for you .
2. Sweet Woodruff
Dainty star - shaped white flower look in spring , make a magical forest feel beneath your hydrangeas . This shadiness - lover thrives in the same acidic soil that bluish hydrangea prefer . The whorled , bright green leaves form a lush rug that stay attractive all season . Sweet woodruff ’s soft spreading wont fill in gaps beautifully without becoming incursive , and its elusive vanilla aroma when dried is an add bonus for gardeners who bask bringing the garden indoors .
3. Hostas
Available in countless assortment with leaves range from tiny to enormous , Hosta proffer amazing texture beneath hydrangeas . Their bluish - greenish , yellow green , or variegated foliage creates interesting color echoes with hydrangea blooms . necessitate similar turn conditions , these shade - lover form arrant partnerships in woodland garden . Some varieties even bring forth adorable lavender or white flower spikes in summer , adding vertical involvement at ground degree while hydrangeas create the high bed of your garden ’s composition .
4. Coral Bells
Sporting leaf in spectacular purples , coppers , silver , and green , these beauty bring year - unit of ammunition color beneath deciduous hydrangea . Their fragile flower chaff add vertical elements while staying low enough to showcase your hydrangeas . Modern assortment proffer incredible color range and leafage textures that complement hydrangeas attractively . Coral bells ( Heuchera ) thrive in the same rich , well - drain soil as hydrangeas , making them natural companions that add sophistication to your garden design without competing for resources .
5. Japanese Forest Grass
elegant arching blade of this cosmetic grass create movement and texture beneath static hydrangea shrubs . The amber - striped varieties brighten fly-by-night spots while solid green type offer elusive elegance . This dense - grower wo n’t overpower your garden design but gradually fills in to create a soft waterfall consequence . Japanese forest grass ( Hakonechloa ) perform attractively in the same partially shaded weather that hydrangeas love , making maintenance elementary while add sophisticated texture to your garden beds .
6. Ajuga
Often called bugleweed , this rugged land cover offers glossy , colorful foliage in sunglasses of chocolate , Bourgogne , or variegated patterns . In spring , spike of blue flower create a stunning underplanting for pinkish or white hydrangea . Ajuga fills in quickly to stamp down widow’s weeds and forestall dirt eroding around your prized shrubs . Its low - turn habit means it wo n’t vie with hydrangeas for visual attention , while its tolerance for less - than - perfect weather makes it an easy - care addition to your garden design .
7. Lamium
Silver - splashed leaf lights up shady musca volitans beneath hydrangea while pinkish , purple , or white flowers add seasonal color . This adaptable land cover handles dry shade — a challenging condition many other plants ca n’t tolerate . Lamium ( spotted deadnettle ) turn quickly to fill up in au naturel areas but is n’t aggressive enough to threaten your hydrangeas . Its semi - evergreen nature provides wintertime interest in milder climates , extending the time of year of smasher in your garden when hydrangeas have lost their leaf .
8. Ferns
Unfurling fronds create woodland thaumaturgy beneath hydrangeas , with infinite varieties offering different texture and high . Japanese paint ferns bring silver highlight while cinnamon fern proffer rusty accents that complement hydrangea leaf attractively . Most ferns choose the same rich , moist soil as hydrangeas , making them natural spouse . Their perpendicular yet soft word form make architectural interest without visual competition , and many types are evergreen or semi - evergreen , providing construction even when hydrangea are dormant .
9. Epimedium
Fairy wing , as they ’re commonly called , feature bosom - determine leaf that often issue with bronze or red tints in springtime . Their delicate , dancing flowers appear on wiry root above the foliage , creating an ethereal look beneath more significant hydrangeas . genus Epimedium manage dry shadiness like a champ once establish , solve that difficult garden challenge . These tough but beautiful plants organize a weed - suppressing mat that does n’t threaten to catch your hydrangea , making them ideal low - care companions .
10. Astilbe
Feathery plumes in sunglasses from white to deep red create vertical accent beneath hydrangeas without stealing their thunder . The fern - similar foliage offer contrasting texture that complements the wide leaf of hydrangea shrubs . Astilbes thrive in the same rich , moist weather that hydrangeas love . These shadiness - kind perennials blooming at roughly the same time as many hydrangea varieties , make a coordinated display that extends the color show from ground level upwards through your garden beds .
11. Lily of the Valley
Fragrant doorbell - shaped blooms appear in spring , offer delicious aroma before hydrangea take halfway stage . The bright green , strappy leaves create a kempt ground cover that spread to form a dense carpet . Lily of the valley performs attractively in shady musca volitans where many plant fight . While this land cover spread enthusiastically , established hydrangeas can easy coexist with it , creating a charming cottage garden effect as the bantam white flower give way to hydrangea ’s bold blooming .
12. Liriope
Often called lily turf , this grass - like perennial creates neat clumps with spike of purple or white flowers in late summer . Its arching , strappy leaf provide fantastic textural direct contrast to hydrangeas ’ broader leaf . Liriope muscari manage challenging conditions from dry shadiness to hapless soil with ease . The . was meaned by evergreen
13. Pachysandra
Glossy , evergreen plant leaf make a dense carpet that suppresses weeds while add year - round structure beneath hydrangeas . Small white bloom spikes look in spring but the foliage is the real star of this reliable land cover . Pachysandra terminalis ( Nipponese spurge ) spreads gradually to fill in bare areas without becoming debatable . It handles the same acidic soil weather that blue hydrangeas choose , making it an especially good companion for these varieties while supply reproducible green beneath deciduous shrub .
14. Brunnera
Heart - shaped leaves with arresting silvern variegation lighten up fly-by-night musca volitans beneath hydrangeas . In spring , sprays of bantam blue flower resemble bury - me - nots , make a moony woodland consequence . Brunnera macrophylla ‘ Jack Frost ’ and similar varieties offer season - long interest through their spectacular foliage . These bunch - form perennials maintain a tidy habit without spreading aggressively , making them arrant companions that wo n’t threaten to catch your prized hydrangeas while add distinctive texture to your garden design .
15. Vinca Minor
calendered evergreen leaf form a dense mat that efficaciously suppresses weeds while periwinkle - blue flowers add spring color . This adaptable land screen handles challenging conditions from dry shadiness to poor soil . Vinca ( periwinkle ) stays low enough to showcase hydrangeas while prevent soil erosion on slopes . Its moderate growing rate means it fill in nicely without becoming too fast-growing in most gardens , though occasional trimming at the edge keeps it from roll where it ’s not desire .
16. Mondo Grass
Forming tidy bunch of grass - like foliage , mondo grass creates a neat , formal look beneath more exuberant hydrangeas . The standard greenish or black mondo varieties offer different moods — from traditional to dramatic — in your garden designing . This slowly - growing ground cover requires minimal care once established . Mondo grass ( Ophiopogon ) handles partial shade beautifully and stay heavyset , making it arrant for smaller gardens or creating defined edge around hydrangea specimen without endanger to overtake them .
17. Wild Ginger
Heart - shaped , calendered leaves organize a realistic rug that ’s perfect for woodland gardens have hydrangea . Though the flowers are hidden beneath the leaf , the leaves themselves supply beautiful texture and form . Wild ginger ( Asarum ) spreads slow to form colonies that stamp down weeds effectively . aboriginal assortment support local ecosystems while European ginger offer bigger , more spectacular leaf — both pair off attractively with hydrangea while preferring the same rich , moist soil weather .
