These Are the Best Plants for a Rock Garden

By Jennifer Poindexter

Have you ever heard of the term rock garden? If you’re new to gardening or landscaping, you may wonder what the purpose of a rock garden is.

There are many ways to add beauty and depth to a property. A rock garden happens to be one way of accomplishing this.

I’ll explain in a little more detail what a rock garden is. I’m also going to share plants that may have a space in a rock garden, should you decide to create one of your own.

Here are the best plants for a rock garden around your home:

What Is a Rock Garden?

A rock garden is a space in your garden or landscape that’s outlined in rocks or has rocks incorporated throughout the growing space.

You may place plants around the rocks, add different types of mulch, and even incorporate a sitting area.

The purpose of this space is to add a little more character to an otherwise dull space. Some people also create rock gardens if they aren’t able to grow grass around their home.

It’s an excellent way to add beauty while keeping the space functional. If you have a location where grass won’t grow, and it’s otherwise muddy, add rocks and plants. This should clean the space up with little effort or maintenance on your part.

If you’d like to create such a space around your home, keep reading for ideas of which plants to add to your future rock garden.

Best Plants for a Rock Garden

A rock garden can be a beautiful space around your home. It can be a nice place to relax or a way to make your home look and feel more welcoming.

Here are a few ideas for the best plants to incorporate into a rock garden:

1. Hens and Chicks

Hens and chicks are a type of succulent. This plant produces a rosette which then produces smaller rosette-shaped plants. These are the chicks while the main plant is the hen.

This is a durable plant which remains hardy in planting zones three through eight. These plants thrive from neglect. Provide soil that’s extremely well-draining and barely water them. Too much water leads to rot which is one of the biggest issues for this plant.

2. Alyssum

Alyssum is a beautiful plant that creates small, colorful, mounding blooms. This plant is durable as it remains hardy in planting zones five through nine.

Should you add this plant to your growing space, be sure to supply it with full to partial sunlight and soil that drains adequately. Water the plant deeply and ensure it’s allowed to dry fully between watering sessions.

3. Stonecrop

Stonecrop is a taller plant which produces long, green stems and foliage. At the tip of this plant is a cluster of small blooms which form colorful heads. It’s a great way to add beauty and color to your rock garden.

If you’re interested in growing stonecrop, select a growing location with light, aerated, and well-draining soil. The plants also prefer full to partial sunlight. Expect stonecrop to remain hardy in planting zones three through eight.

4. Ajuga

Ajuga is a low-growing plant that produces a base of deep, green foliage, long stems, and small colorful blooms at the top. This plant only grows to be about a half-foot in height but spreads up to two-feet wide.

Be sure to plant ajuga where it’ll receive partial shade. However, this plant does still grow in full sunlight. It just seems to perform better with more shade in its growing space. Ajuga also prefers well-draining soil. This plant remains hardy in planting zones three through ten.

5. Irish Moss

Irish moss is a green plant consisting of bright, green foliage. It’ll produce small white blooms as well, but is mainly grown for its greenery.

Expect Irish moss to remain hardy in planting zones four through eight. This plant also thrives in a growing location with full sunlight, regular watering, and well-draining soil.

6. Rock Cress

Rock cress is a beautiful mounding plant which spreads throughout a growing space. It consists of green foliage and small, colorful blooms.

This plant prefers a growing location with morning sunlight and afternoon shade. It performs best in milder temperatures ranging from 65- to 70-degrees Fahrenheit. Be sure to supply well-draining soil as well. Rock cress grows to be less than a foot in height and remains hardy in planting zones four through seven.

7. Snow-in-Summer

Snow-in-summer stands out because of the carpet of white blooms it creates. This plant remains hardy in planting zones three through seven. Since snow-in-summer doesn’t last long in warm conditions, it’s important to provide the right growing space. 

Snow-in-summer needs soil that’s well-draining and sandy. In a cooler growing location, the plant can withstand full sunlight. In a warmer planting zone, provide morning sunlight and partial shade in the afternoon.

8. Blue Fescue

Rock gardens are a great place to incorporate ornamental grasses. They’re low-maintenance, subtle, but charming. They also add texture to a growing space.

Blue fescue could be a great selection. This plant thrives in a growing space with full sunlight (as this helps draw out the blue in its foliage), well-draining soil, and consistent moisture. In turn, the plant should remain hardy in planting zones four through eight.

9. Creeping Phlox

Creeping phlox is another beautiful carpeting plant. The plant only grows to be approximately a half-foot tall but sprawls as wide as two feet.

This beautiful blooming plant needs a growing location with ample sunlight and soil that drains adequately. Creeping phlox should remain hardy in planting zones five through nine.

10. Creeping Thyme

Creeping phlox and creeping thyme have a similar look. Their blooms and foliage look almost identical, to the point many people think they’re the same plant. Yet, these plants belong to two different families.

Their growing conditions are the same, as creeping thyme also needs full sun and well-draining soil. However, creeping thyme is a little hardier than creeping phlox as it remains hardy in planting zones four through nine.

11. Yarrow

Yarrow is another taller plant that would be a great addition to your rock garden as it could add contrast against other shorter plants.

If you add yarrow to your garden area, be sure to provide a space with plenty of sunlight and soil that’s sandy and well-draining. Yarrow loves hot growing conditions and should remain hardy in planting zones four through eight.

12. Coreopsis

Coreopsis, also known as tick seed, is a flowering plant which produces bright blooms which have a similar appearance to a daisy. Expect these plants to thrive in areas with plenty of sunlight.

Plus, they’ll need soil that remains evenly damp and drains adequately. Coreopsis remains hardy in planting zones four through nine.

13. Russian Sage

Russian sage is a favorite of mine. I think it should be incorporated anywhere you can make it work due to the beauty it provides.

This plant is low-maintenance and thrives in a growing location with adequate drainage and full sunlight. Russian sage thrives in a variety of soil types and remains hardy in planting zones four through nine.

14. Coneflower

Coneflowers are beautiful plants that produce long stems and blooms with drooping petals. As the petals droop it causes the center to protrude and take on a cone shape. Their unique shape and vibrant colors make this a wonderful addition for a rock garden.

If you’re considering growing this plant, be sure to provide a location with full sunlight and soil that’s evenly damp and well-draining. Coneflowers remain hardy in planting zones four through nine.

15. Lavender

Our last plant which could make a great addition to your rock garden is lavender. This bushing plant produces vibrant green foliage and light purple blooms which provide life to even the dullest of spaces.

When growing lavender, be sure to provide a growing location which consists of well-draining soil and plenty of direct sunlight. This plant prefers an average of six hours per day of direct lighting. Lavender remains hardy in planting zones five through nine.

If you’re interested in creating a rock garden around your home, these fifteen options should provide a few ideas to jump start your design process.

When creating a rock garden, provide the conditions each plant needs and ensure they’re the right fit for your planting zone. If you provide the right foundation and care, hopefully your rock garden becomes a place of beauty around your home.

Frequently Asked Questions About Rock Gardens

How large should a rock garden be?

A common gardening mistake is planting a garden that is too large to maintain. This applies to rock gardens as well. Even though rock gardens have defined borders, they can still require a lot of maintenance. Particularly, weed control in rock gardens is an important consideration. Managing weeds in rock gardens can be time-consuming, so limiting the size of the garden can be a good idea. Do not plant more than you can manage.

What is crucial for the plants in a rock garden?

Rock gardens are often landscaped into areas of the lawn or garden where it is difficult to grow other plants. Considering this, make sure that the plants in the rock garden will have good drainage. Amend the soil as necessary. If you need more information on creating better drainage in heavy soils, please refer to our article on Amending Clay Soils.

More About Rock Gardens

https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/rock-garden-plants-7-401/

https://mgeldorado.ucanr.edu/Demonstration_Garden/Individual_Gardens_Gateway/Rock_Garden/

https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/early-gems-in-the-rock-garden/