Rock gardens are one of the easiest ways to add texture, color and year-round interest to your landscape. The secret to a beautiful rock garden is choosing hardy, low-maintenance plants that thrive in rocky, well-drained soil while softening the hard edges of stone. Whether you’re filling a sunny slope, creating a hillside garden, or building a small rockery, these hardy perennials will return year after year with very little fuss.
From colorful ground covers to aromatic herbs and evergreen shrubs, these hardy plants are ideal for creating a landscape that is both beautiful and easy to care for.
What Plants Are Good for Rock Gardens?
First, let’s talk about what makes a perennial suitable for a rock garden. Consider the characteristics of a rock garden and especially your own landscape and environment. Most rock gardens will have good drainage because they are, well, rocky. Drought tolerant perennials they fit very well here and will allow you to use less water (because anyone who wants to water rocks?). Many homeowners often choose use rocks to landscape steep slopes. If this applies to you, some ground cover plants are probably important in reducing corrosion.
Beyond these details, consider native plants from rocky areas – what do you think? Alpine plants from rocky mountain landscape, varieties of sedum from desert areas or dwarf evergreens are usually visible among rocky landscapes and will fit naturally into well designed rock garden. If you incorporate a variety of large and small plants of different textures, some for flowering, some for evergreens, you’re off to a great start! With that in mind, take a look at some of the best rock garden plants we’ve collected below!
Blue fescue
Blue fescue is an ornamental grass noted for its compact clumps of silver-blue foliage, adding cool color long after many flowers have faded. It thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, is drought tolerant once established, and is rarely disturbed by deer. Its neat shape makes it ideal for bordersfilling gaps between large rocks or in contrast to flowering perennials.
Photo via Really Simple
Bugleweed
Bugleweed is a fast spreading ground cover with glossy foliage and spikes of spring-blooming blue flowers. It quickly fills in bare spaces between rocks, helping to suppress weeds while softening the look of stone paths and retaining walls. Unlike many rock garden plants, too tolerates partial shademaking it a versatile choice for difficult shaded areas.
Photo via Garden Design
Pink Cheddar
Cheddar Pink produces fragrant pink flowers atop neat mounds of blue-green foliage each spring. Its evergreen leaves provide year-round interest, while the flowers attract butterflies and other pollinators. Because it is too deer resistant and thrives in poor, rocky soil, it is an easy choice for sunny borders and rock gardens.
Photo via Lawn love
creeping thyme
Creeping Thyme creates a dense carpet of fragrant foliage that is ideal for growing between steps and rocks. It tolerates light foot movement and releases a pleasant herbal scent when brushed or stepped on. In summer, it is covered with tiny purple flowers that attract bees and other beneficial pollinators. There are many varieties of thyme, some with white flowers and some with purple flowers, all of which we would consider excellent choices, but creeping thyme will do more to fill in the gaps between the rocks.
Photo via Lawn love
Dragon’s Blood Stonecrop
Dragon’s Blood Stonecrop is a hardy succulent with colorful foliage which changes from green to deep burgundy as the seasons progress. It stores water in its succulent leaves, making it extremely drought tolerant and suitable for warm, sunny rock gardens. Its spreading habit also makes it an excellent low-maintenance ground cover.
Photo via The Red Lady
Juniper
A beautiful evergreen is a must-have addition to any rock garden. Low-growing Juniper adds evergreen texture and structure that looks beautiful in cascades over rocks and slopes. Its extensive root system makes it particularly useful for stabilizing slopes and preventing erosion. Once established, it requires very little maintenance while providing color and shelter for birds all year round.
Photo via Garden Design
Lavender
Lavender brings fragrant purple flowers and silvery foliage to sunny rock gardens. It thrives in dry, well-drained soil and is naturally resistant to both deer and rabbits. The long-lasting blooms are a favorite of bees and butterflies, and the flowers can even be harvested for dried arrangements or sachets.
Photo via Really Simple
Rock Cress
Rock Cress is loved for its profusion of colorful early spring flowers that cascade gracefully over retaining walls and boulders. As one of the first bloomers of the season, it provides an early source of nectar for pollinators. Because it stays low and spreads outward, it’s ideal for filling spaces between larger rocks without overwhelming nearby plants.
Photo via Desert planet
Rock Soapwort
Rock Soapwort forms a carpet of low-growing green foliage covered with delicate pink flowers in late spring. Spreads easily into cracks and crevices, making it ideal for filling empty spaces in rock gardens. It thrives in poor, rocky soil and requires very little maintenance, making it an excellent choice for beginning gardeners.
Photo via Desert planet
Yellow Alyssum
Yellow Alyssum lights up the garden with masses of cheerful golden blooms every spring. Its compact growth habit and excellent drought tolerance make it a reliable choice for sunny rock gardens and alpine garden plantings. The live flowers too attract butterflies and other pollinators, making it a great addition to wildlife friendly gardens.
Photo via The Red Lady
Create a rock garden that you will enjoy for years
As you can see, there is a wide range of plants each with their own special characteristics to contribute to your rock garden. From flowers in a variety of colors, to grass, to colorful succulents, it can be difficult to choose your focal points among these great options. The best rock gardens combine a variety of textures, colors and flowering periods to create a beautiful landscape every season. By mixing evergreens, flowering perennials and low-growing ground covers, you can enjoy a colorful and easy-to-maintain garden for years to come.
Looking for even more inspiration? Explore our favorite drought tolerant perennials for low water landscapes or browse our guide to best ground cover plants to fill in bare spaces, soften hard edges and add even more color to your garden. Love rock garden inspiration? Check out some rock art ideas to add to your own garden or discover ways to beautify a hillside with rocks.
