It might sound like the title of a twee horror movie, but creeping thyme is a terrific ground cover that offers beautiful bright pink flowers and loves to be stepped on. No, seriously—walking on creeping thyme releases a nice scent that will remind you of mint. It does well in droughts and is usually evergreen. It grows to about three inches in height and, when in bloom, creates a spectacular pink carpet of flowers. It also attracts a lot of wildlife, including butterflies and hummingbirds, which will further add to the beauty of your yard. It won’t need much watering or other maintenance, but it does grow fast so you might need to trim it back regularly.

Zones: Creeping thyme does well in zones 4 to 8.

It sounds like a diagnosis no one wants to hear from their doctor, but creeping phlox is an excellent choice over grass in terms of ground cover. Hardy and capable of spreading quickly, creeping phlox is a durable and mostly perennial ground cover that will wash over everything in its path, winding up and down rocks, walls, and everything in between. Blooming into a carpet of flowers ranging from purple to blue, it’s beautiful to look at and nice to walk on, which is something it tolerates reasonably well. One thing to keep in mind is that this is a plant that takes its creeping seriously. It will require some attention if you want to keep it in a specific area.

Zones: Creeping phlox thrives in zones 3 to 9.

If you’re looking for a nearly-indestructible replacement for grass, look no further. Green carpet spreads enthusiastically, is almost impossible to kill with neglect, and feels very nice under your feet. It doesn’t mind a fair amount of foot traffic, either. It tolerates drought well and doesn’t require much watering at all, and most insects and wildlife ignore it completely, so if you’re the type to forget you have a yard for weeks at a time it’s ideal. Green Carpet will flower in the late spring or early summer, but the flowers are quite small. It will also bronze up a bit in the winter, which will add a nice bit of seasonally-appropriate contrast. It likes shade and will suffer in a lot of direct sunlight, however, so if your yard gets baked on a regular basis this might not work for you.

Zones: Green carpet will work well in zones 4 to 8.

Lily turf is an ideal choice either as an accent to your lawn or as a whole-lawn cover if you don’t really use your yard for anything other than decorative purposes. It’s incredibly hardy. In fact, the easiest way to kill lily turf is to pay attention to it. Left to its own devices, it will cover any area in beautiful, purple flowers that grow up straight and proud, while the stalks spread out below to create a nice green canopy. Lily turf isn’t great to walk on, so if you plan to use your yard instead of simply admiring it from the safety of your house, you should either restrict it to decorative areas or choose a different ground cover.

Zones: Lily Turf does well in zones 4 to 10.

If you want an alternative that still mimics the soft feel and green of grass to some extent, consider moss. Yes, moss. Moss grows on practically everything—in fact, if you’ve been maintaining a grass lawn for a while you’ve probably had to excise some moss already. Moss is hardy, durable, and will create a soft, green carpet that’s nice to walk on. The key is to choose a moss native to your area. You might be able to literally take some moss from a nearby area and just plop it down in your yard. First, remove all existing plants, rake the ground, and water until it’s muddy. Then press moss plants into the dirt (bearing in mind you might need to stake them to hold them in place until they’re established). You can also create what’s known as a “moss slurry” by blending some moss (yes, in a blender) with some water and buttermilk, then “painting” the slurry where you want moss to grow. Once established, moss will take care of itself, though a little light watering is needed in hot, dry conditions.

Although it’s nice to walk on moss, it doesn’t tolerate a lot of heavy foot traffic. If you’re going to be walking on your moss a lot, consider installing a stone path of some sort.

Zones: Different moss varieties can be found across zones 2 to 9, as a rule.

If you’re looking for a burst of yellow in your yard, basket-of-gold is a great choice. The plant will produce a stunning carpet of golden petals as it spreads across the ground, and it does well in dry and even drought conditions. It also tolerates a lot of abuse and neglect, so if your landscaping leans more towards incompetence it’s a good choice. All it really needs is very occasional watering. There are compact varieties that don’t spread quite so much, but even if you choose a more aggressive one, it doesn’t really need trimming unless it starts to look a bit unruly to your eye. Trimming is totally your choice.

Zones: Basket-of-gold does well in zones 4 to 7.

There are a lot of varieties of nepeta, and most will make good ground covers. The best is probably Nepeta x faassenii, sometimes known as cat’s meow. It grows up as a spiky plant that blooms into purple and blue flowers and smells great. What’s nice about nepeta is that it will crowd out weeds, blooms for a long period of time, and requires almost zero maintenance. It grows too tall to walk on, however, so it’s best used strategically unless you don’t want to walk around in your yard much. It also doesn’t spread far, so you’ll have to plan to plant as much as you need—but the results can be spectacular.

Zones: Nepeta plants thrive in zones 3 to 8.

You don’t want to fill your yard with candytuft, but it makes for a gorgeous accent and works really well as a border plant. Candytuft does well in dry conditions, even droughts, and is typically evergreen unless you’re on the low end of its temperature tolerance. The plants grow to about a foot in height and bloom in the spring with beautiful white flowers that spread out to cover the stems below, giving the illusion of a white carpet of petals. It also has a delightful scent that will fill your yard or garden with a delicate sweetness. Candytuft grows quickly and requires almost zero maintenance, as it is essentially self-pruning unless you’re actively trying to stop it from spreading, which happens slowly. For best results in terms of ground cover, candytuft plants should be planted about six inches apart.

Zones: Candytuft thrives across zones 3 to 8. In higher zones, try to give it a bit more shade.

If you want a grass replacement that can be mown to resemble a traditional lawn, sanddune sedge will work gangbusters—although it grows as a “mound,” so it won’t be a lawn you can run around on. It tolerates foot traffic well, however, so it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your yard. It’s just a bit bumpy when compared to grass. Sanddune sedge isn’t overly aggressive, but it will creep along, so it might occasionally need cutting back. Aside from the occasional mowing—a few times a year, and only if you want a more traditional look—there isn’t much maintenance. It’s drought-tolerant and doesn’t need frequent watering.

Zones: This sedge grows well in zones 4 to 9.

If the reason you’re looking for a grass substitute is that grass doesn’t like to grow in your yard, Japanese pachysandra (aka “spurge”) is a good choice. It works well in shade and tolerates drought, and it grows very fast—so if you’re worried about your yard looking bare as you transition from grass to an alternative this is a good choice. An evergreen perennial, it will survive the winter with a bit of yellowing and come roaring back green in the spring. It will also inhibit weeds well, though it’s best used around trees and on edges, unless you don’t plan to walk in your yard very much.

Zones: Japanese pachysandra works well in zones 5 to 9.