Replacing small lawn with native groundcover - Ask Extension
Hi,
I am looking into replacing a small patch of lawn I have with a native, and hopefully no mow ground cover. The area is about 15 by 20 feet, is i...
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Replacing small lawn with native groundcover #925040
Asked February 25, 2026, 1:33 PM EST
Hi,
I am looking into replacing a small patch of lawn I have with a native, and hopefully no mow ground cover. The area is about 15 by 20 feet, is in shade most of the day (it is east facing and has a some tree cover) and usually gets a good amount of water. I was wondering if there is a specific native moss I should be looking for, and if so where I would be able to get it in the Grand Rapids area. I was also looking at lining the area with a native shrub that would grow around 2-3 feet tall if there is anything that would also do well in the same environment. Lastly, I was wondering if there was any small flowering ground cover that I could also plant in with the moss that is ideally also native. I was interested in something similar to creeping thyme, but I wanted to see if there was anything similar that is native.
Thank you for your help!
Kent County Michigan
Expert Response
Thank you for your question. I must admit I don't get many questions asking how to keep moss! Moss is an opportunistic plant that grows where other plants are thin and struggling (the same reasons it grows in turf). Moss is most commonly associated with landscape deficiencies like: shallow, rocky soils; poor soil fertility; low soil pH (acid soils); heavy shade; soil compaction and excessive moisture (all conditions that diminish most healthy plant growth) or a combination of the above conditions so; accentuate these conditions to grow moss. There's not much out there on growing moss as most people want to get rid of it. Here are some articles on mosses but no sources as MSU Extension does not endorse any retailers or brands:
https://depts.washington.edu/hortlib/pal/replacing-grass-with-moss-in-the-garden/
https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/mosses-division-bryophyta
https://bryophyteportal.org/portal/
https://mnfi.anr.msu.edu/species/description/15942/Lycopodiella-subappressa
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/moss-landscape/
Check out alternatives to moss in these links:
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/lawn-alternatives/
Groundcover Alternatives to Turf-MSU
Groundcover Alternatives to Turf-UDel
Shady Lawn Alternatives-MSU
Gardening in the Shade-UMN
Info on native shrubs to review:
Native Plants for MI Landscapes-Shrubs
https://extension.illinois.edu/sites/default/files/native-shrubs-midwest_morton_arboretum.pdf
https://www.mtu.edu/kisma/native-alternatives/native-species-table/
Specific MI native plants you might consider include: Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana), Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense), Cut-Leaved Toothwort (Dentaria laciniata), Yellow Trout Lily (Erythronium americium), Round-Lobed Hepatica (Hepatica americana) or Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia) selection is reduced by the shady site. A good book to check out these and other Michigan natives is 'Landscaping with Native plants of Michigan' by Lynn M. Steiner (ISBN-13: 988-0-7603-2538-4). Another book 'Covering Ground' by Barbara W. Ellis (ISBN-13: 978-1-58017-665-1) has a section on moss gardens (pg 182) that you might find helpful.
https://depts.washington.edu/hortlib/pal/replacing-grass-with-moss-in-the-garden/
https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/mosses-division-bryophyta
https://bryophyteportal.org/portal/
https://mnfi.anr.msu.edu/species/description/15942/Lycopodiella-subappressa
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/moss-landscape/
Check out alternatives to moss in these links:
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/lawn-alternatives/
Groundcover Alternatives to Turf-MSU
Groundcover Alternatives to Turf-UDel
Shady Lawn Alternatives-MSU
Gardening in the Shade-UMN
Info on native shrubs to review:
Native Plants for MI Landscapes-Shrubs
https://extension.illinois.edu/sites/default/files/native-shrubs-midwest_morton_arboretum.pdf
https://www.mtu.edu/kisma/native-alternatives/native-species-table/
Specific MI native plants you might consider include: Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana), Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense), Cut-Leaved Toothwort (Dentaria laciniata), Yellow Trout Lily (Erythronium americium), Round-Lobed Hepatica (Hepatica americana) or Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia) selection is reduced by the shady site. A good book to check out these and other Michigan natives is 'Landscaping with Native plants of Michigan' by Lynn M. Steiner (ISBN-13: 988-0-7603-2538-4). Another book 'Covering Ground' by Barbara W. Ellis (ISBN-13: 978-1-58017-665-1) has a section on moss gardens (pg 182) that you might find helpful.
