The Low-Maintenance Purple Flower That'll Make A Perfect Grass Alternative

Instead of worrying about keeping grass maintained and manicured, think outside the box with a low-maintenance, shade-loving flower that doubles as a great ground cover. Horned violet (Viola cornuta) is the sweet-smelling, delicate flower in question. Also known as tufted violet, this perennial is characterized by a creeping growth that is ideal for a grass alternative. Each plant barely reaches a foot above ground, but will spread stems out to 12 inches easily. Find a way to add some beautiful color to your lawn with this attractive ground cover without spending a lot of time on upkeep.

Relatively little maintenance is necessary once you've established horned violets in your yard. Amend your soil, if needed, to ensure moist, well-draining conditions. They thrive in cooler weather, which means extended hot weather will lead to fewer blooms. However, you simply need to cut the plants back a little to encourage fresh blooms again in late summer. Originally native to Spain, this flower grows via rhizomes (underground stems that grow horizontally). Horned violet is not aggressive and will not take over your garden or lawn, unlike plumbago, which is great at weed suppression but is also known to spread rapidly.

Horned violets grow well in full sun or partial shade, making it simple to plant wherever you need to in your yard for a grass alternative. It's also possible to plant this perennial in your garden once and it'll never leave, but only from USDA Zone 6 to 9. If you enjoy horned violets and live outside of Zone 6, they can be grown as annuals in lower zones, similar to pansies. Sometimes called horned pansies, this true violet is distinguished from a pansy by its five-petaled flowers. 

This clever alternative to grass for a no-mow garden provides a vibrant array of color to your yard, too. More stunning than basic grass, horned violets feature a two-toned color palette, mixing together white, blue, lavender, and violet. You can find other brilliant colors to add to your garden palette, including red, apricot, and yellow, in the many cultivars available on the market. It blooms multiple times of year, from the spring into summer and again in autumn. Grow horned violets as a ground cover for an easy and beautiful yard.