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Researchers from Cornell University found these perennials to be super weed suppressors. Meet the seven samurai of weed control?
1. 'Emerald Blue' moss phlox (Phlox subulata)
Full sun
Mat-forming habit
4 to 6 inches tall; 24 inches wide
Hardy in Zones 3 through 9
Good spring and summer coverage; declines slightly in fall
Lavender-blue flowers in April and May
Native; evergreen
2. 'Thriller' lady's mantle (Alchemilla mollis)
Full sun to shade
Clumping habit
12 to 18 inches tall; 24 inches wide
Hardy in Zones 4 through 7
Dense canopy of broad, scalloped leaves
Pale yellow flowers from late spring to early fall
3. 'Walker's Low' catmint (Nepeta x faassenii)
Full sun to light shade
Upright habit
18 to 24 inches tall; 18 inches wide
Hardy in Zones 3 through 9
Rapidly growing foliage produces dense cover by late spring
Light blue flowers from late June to mid-September
4. 'Golden Fleece' dwarf goldenrod (Solidago sphacelata)
Full sun to light shade
Upright habit
18 inches tall; 24 inches wide
Hardy in Zones 3 through 8
Dark green foliage
Bright yellow flowers throughout summer, into early fall
Exceptionally stress-tolerant; native
Attracts butterflies
5. 'Albiflorus' creeping thyme (Thymus praecox)
Full sun to light shade
Mat-forming habit
2 inches tall; 18 inches wide
Hardy in Zones 5 through 7
Vigorous spreader; thickens again in early fall after flowering
Needs to be weeded during first year because of low growth habit
Tiny white blooms in late spring and early summer
Pleasant-smelling, evergreen
Good for relatively dry conditions or on well-drained slopes, not for wet areas
6. 'Herman's Pride' false lamium (Lamiastrum galeobdolon)
Light shade to full shade
Clumping, or restrained spreading, habit
12 to 18 inches tall; 18 to 24 inches wide
Hardy in Zones 4 through 9
Fast-growing dense canopy spreads by stolons, particularly in second year
Maintains mottled yellow-green foliage throughout growing season
Pale yellow flowers from late spring through midsummer
7. 'Majestic' lilyturf (Liriope)
Light shade
Clumping habit
8 to 12 inches tall; 6 to 12 inches wide
Hardy in Zones 4 through 10
Dark green grasslike foliage emerges in late spring
Violet-blue flower spikes in July and August
Flowers followed by blue-black berry clusters
Evergreen
