Baby's Tears: The Soft Ground Cover You Could Learn To Love In Your Lawn

If you have a damp and shady spot in your lawn, consider baby's tears (Soleirolia soleirolii) for a lovely ground cover that feels nice underfoot. Also known by names like "angel's tears" and "mind-your-own-business," this perennial resembles moss but is actually part of the nettle family. Its creeping growth quickly forms into mats of shiny green leaves, usually reaching around 1 to 2 inches tall. Many gardeners use it for hanging baskets or as an easy-to-grow houseplant, but its moss-like look, plush texture, and bright color are features anyone could learn to love as part of their lawn.

If you're looking for a ground cover that grows quickly, looks pleasant, and feels nice to the touch, baby's tears will check all these boxes. Each individual plant of this dense perennial can grow over 3 feet wide, making it easy to cover a significant area. When grown outdoors, baby's tears can help prevent soil erosion in bare spots with its dense root systems. And it serves as an easy-to-grow ground cover plant that will thrive around tree roots, thanks to its love for humid, shady spots.

Trying to grow something where it won't thrive is a common mistake many people make when growing ground cover plants, so consider your lawn's growing conditions before planting baby's tears. Baby's tears is originally native to the Mediterranean region, so growing it can be tricky in areas with winter frosts. Suitable for USDA Hardiness zones 9 through 11, baby's tears is an evergreen plant when grown in zones 10 and above but will die back in colder weather in zone 9. If you live outside of the 9 to 11 growing zones, you can potentially plant baby's tears as an annual each year. Despite how quickly it grows in warm areas, this ground cover doesn't enjoy desert-like environmental conditions. It won't tolerate direct sun, which can scorch the delicate leaves. It also dislikes poorly drained soils and hot daytime temperatures. 

Baby's tears has a nice feel underfoot but won't tolerate heavy foot traffic, so it shouldn't be planted where you will frequently be walking over it. In the end, it is a persistent plant that can bring wonderful coverage to rock gardens, borders, and container beds, but should be monitored closely. In some cases, this quick-growing plant can border on invasive. Thankfully, compared to some other ground cover plants that love shade, baby's tears can be removed without too much effort due to its shallow roots. If you decide to remove it, make sure to take out every piece of stem, or it will continue to come back.