The Best Living Mulches & Ground Covers for Fruit Trees

Ground covers for fruit trees play a bigger role than you might think—helping with moisture, soil health, and weed control while supporting stronger harvests. The right living mulches can benefit your trees, but not all options work the same way. Keep reading to discover how ground covers work for fruit trees and how to choose the best ones for your garden.

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One of the simplest things you can do to improve the health of your fruit trees is adding mulch. I definitely use plenty of shredded pine bark mulch throughout my garden, but I noticed a big difference when I began planting companions around my trees that would act as a living mulch.

Shredded mulch moves around, has to be reapplied every year, and still allows plenty of weeds - all of which means more work for the gardener. Ground covers keep the soil shaded, block out weeds, and make the watering schedule a little easier. The ground covers in this article are beautiful, practical, and some even give herbs or fruit as a bonus. Use the info below to reduce reliance on bagged or bulk mulch, and let ground covers do most of the work.

> This is Part 5 in a series of 6 articles about fruit tree companion planting. For complete information about this topic, I recommend starting at the beginning.

Why Living Mulches Matter for Fruit Trees

Living mulches—or ground covers—create a protective carpet that works with your trees instead of against them. Many fruit trees, like figs for example, have roots that stay close to the soil surface and can dry out quickly. Their roots need evenly moist, well-draining soil and don't respond well to fast temperature shifts. Any kind of mulch is a good idea, but using ground cover plants provides even more benefits.

*I've planted lamb's ear around a magnolia tree in my garden. Lamb's* *ear is drought tolerant, so it can handle growing partially under the tree's canopy.*

Living Mulches Work Because They:

Suppress weeds by crowding them out. The right ground cover does more than regular mulch to discourage weeds from taking over.
Keep roots cooler. Research shows that soil stays cooler under ground covers, even more than mulch, by as much as 5-10°F.
Prevent moisture loss. Shading the soil keeps water from evaporating as quickly, particularly in extreme heat. Ground covers can also improve water infiltration - the ability for soil to hold moisture - preventing runoff and soil erosion (source).
Improve soil health. The right living mulch (especially when used as a cover crop) increases the overall biodiversity, improves the soil structure, and boosts beneficial microbes (source).
Add beauty or even edible harvests. Ground cover companion plants can be flowering, have interesting foliage shapes and textures, and may even provide fruit or edible leaves.

NOTE: Companion planting blends agriculture, ecology, and gardening lore, but much of the advice online is recycled with little evidence. My suggestions are based on research (linked where relevant), as well as experiments & observations in my own garden, with a focus on the whole environment rather than individual plants. Companion planting works best alongside integrated pest management, organic sprays & fertilizers, and other cultural practices.

How to Choose Fruit Tree Ground Covers

There are hundreds - maybe thousands - of ground cover plants to choose from, but not all will do well under fruit trees. When deciding what to plant, I ask myself a few questions:

Growth Habit

Will it stay low and spreading, or get too tall and compete with my trees? Choose plants that have a low profile and stay about 8 inches or under. The last thing you want is to accidentally create a habitat for pests or rodents.

*Creeping thyme makes a beautiful low-growing, edible ground cover.*

Aggressiveness

Will it cover quickly without turning invasive? Certain plants, like mint, spread quickly but will soon take over a large area. Some ground covers can be hard to remove once they're established.

Root Competition

Is it a "hungry" plant that needs a lot of water and nutrients? Avoid planting companions that will compete with a fruit tree's roots. Keep to shallow-rooted plants, especially within the dripline of the tree.

Curious about any garden-related terms? Click on a highlighted word in the text, or visit The Fruit Grove Glossary to find out more.

Shade vs. Sun

Will it survive under the dappled canopy of a mature tree? Peach trees, for example, can have a pretty dense canopy once they are a few years old. If you want to fill in the area within the dripline, stick to plants that can handle shade, such as sweet woodruff.

Bonus Features

Does it attract pollinators, fix nitrogen, or provide something edible? These stacking functions can be a lifesaver in a small backyard garden. I love using edible ground covers such as alpine strawberries or creeping thyme. Check out the other articles in this series for more ideas.

*I'm trying out Formosan Carpet Raspberry around my peach trees.*

My Favorite Living Mulches for Fruit Trees

This is just the beginning of what's possible for fruit tree ground cover plants, and what works best for you will largely depend on your climate and specific situation. This list includes the ground covers that have earned their spot in my backyard, as well as a few that I am eager to try out:

Strawberries – Beautiful, edible ground cover that spreads well under plums and peaches. Great harvest bonus, but needs some maintenance. Try alpine or woodland strawberries if space is an issue - they don't send out runners and can be divided every few years.
Thyme – Low, fragrant, and pollinator-friendly culinary herb. Loves sun and doesn't need much water. Plant at the dripline or just outside of the canopy to ensure it gets enough light. I grow this interplanted with strawberries, as thyme helps repel aphids and attracts beneficial hoverflies.
Oregano – Hardy and aromatic perennial herb. Tolerates part shade and spreads enough to cover soil without taking over. I grow this around my persimmon tree to fill in the bare soil and reduce the need for other mulch.
Chives - A multitasking grassy herb with edible blooms. When planted thickly, grassy chives make a great living mulch that attracts pollinators and repels pests. I have them planted near the drip line of my peach trees.
Alyssum - Low growing and covered with tiny white or lavender flowers. Alyssum is low maintenance, ornamental, and spreads quickly. It repels aphids and attracts pollinators. And as a bonus, it's easily grown from seed.
Cucumbers, squash, beans, or melons. Fast growing and easy to control. Vining plants will quickly spread and cover a lot of ground, and you get a bonus harvest - as long as there's plenty of sun. After picking the fruit or vegetables, leave the vines as a green mulch to break down over time.

A Note About Cover Crops

Cover crops can serve as a living mulch for fruit trees, as long as you have the space. They're typically planted over a wide area - for example, between fruit trees in an orchard, or in a field after the primary crop has been harvested. Living mulch companion plants work in much the same way as cover crops to protect the soil and provide other benefits. Read more about cover cropping for fruit trees here.

Tips for Planting & Managing Ground Covers

The most important thing is to keep a small bare zone right around the base of the tree to help with airflow and reduce the risk of disease. All of the above list of ground covers for fruit trees should be easy to keep several inches away from the trunk.

I would avoid growing living mulches around young fruit trees for the first couple of years after planting. A spreading ground cover could keep the young tree from taking up adequate water and nutrients. Wait until the tree is a few years old and has established a strong root system.

For mature trees, plant in between trees or close to the drip line, and allow the ground cover to spread inward. The idea is to reduce competition with the fruit tree's roots. Try mixing different living mulches for seasonal coverage.

*Here I've planted peanuts near (but not too near) my espalier apple trees. They shade the soil and keep weeds from spreading.*

Next Step: Designing Your Companion Plan

We've covered all four categories in this series—pollinator plants, pest deterrents, soil builders, and ground covers. The last step is putting it all together into a plan tailored for your backyard. In the next article, I’ll share how to combine these plants into a simple companion planting plan that works for your trees, your climate, and your space.

> Read Part 6: How to Design Your Fruit Tree Companion Planting Plan