ground cover

American  

Or groundcover

noun

1. the herbaceous plants and low shrubs in a forest, considered as a whole.

2. any of a variety of low-growing or trailing plants used to cover the ground in areas where grass is difficult to grow, as in dense shade or on steep slopes.

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ground cover British  

noun

1. 1. dense low herbaceous plants and shrubs that grow over the surface of the ground, esp, in a forest, preventing soil erosion or, in a garden, stifling weeds

   2. ( as modifier )

      ground-cover plants

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Etymology

Origin of ground cover

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ground cover

If you have a sloped yard that struggles with runoff, consider planting ground cover, such as buckwheat and coyote brush, which act as a protective carpet over the soil and slow the flow of water.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

They mingle with puffy red and fuchsia dahlias and purple phlox, as well as hydrangeas, sedum and Creeping Jenny, a ground cover that doubles as paths for strolling.

From Seattle Times ● May 22, 2024

The accuracy of climate models depends on many factors -- greenhouse gas emissions from industrial and transportation activity, farm animal "emissions," urban growth and loss of forests, and solar reflections off snow and ground cover.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 13, 2024

The “zombie fires” persist during winter because porous peat and moss ground cover in northern areas act as underground fuel for them.

From New York Times ● Mar. 4, 2024

And in the early morning swept clean of clouds and telescopically clear, we crunched around on the thick white ground cover of frost and got under way.

From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck