I have a weed --- oops, wild flower -- that makes the best walkway ground cover and seems indestructible. Unfortunately it also gets in the flower beds.... o h, but that's what you want. I have no idea what it is, but I'm sure I can collect some seeds for you this summer --- or even send you a few plants. ;D

I was going to suggest rosemary, but it will need pruning out in 5 years too.
(excuse me while I go stare out the back window.)

Ah yes! Salvia leucophylia "Bee's Bliss Sage" has spread in a nice, solid, velvety, gray-green mat that is about 6" high. In the Spring it gets beautiful, pink-purple flower stalks that are 2-3' tall, but you clip them off once they're done blooming, and you have the nice low plant again. It does like water, but is considered drought tolerant. I think it is also one of those plants you can use for an incense bundle.... at least it smells like it. I don't think I'd try walking on it much tho'.

Best I can do for today.

The Myoporum is pretty tough. It has a nice texture too.

My local Wendy's used it on the bank around their drive through and it always looks good. Kids cut across there sometimes, so the occasional foot traffic doesn't seem to bother it.

Dymondia is another really tough groundcover that will take some foot traffic and is very drought tolerant.

Westelle, I have Salvia 'Gracias' which is supposedly the same at 'Bee's Bliss' in my median strip and I only give it a wash down at best once or twice in the summer and it's done just fine for the past 5 years.

wanda

The Stepables website (below) is a great place to start. Maybe it will give you some ideas as to what might work for your area.

Brenda

Here is a link that might be useful: Stepables

Wanda: My Bee's Bliss is planted in barely-soil on top of DG, which may be why mine needs a bit more water.

I'm not sure I want another salvia...just more to deadhead.
I think I've seen Bee's Bliss somewhere.
The area is about 35x5 across the top tier so that's a lot of deadheading.
Wanda- I did like the texture of the Myoporum, if I can't have color then texture is good since the flowers he said aren't remarkable.
I'm gonna go to other nursery this week and see. Probably everything will be dead, swimming or drowned.
I'm still going to save some of the Lantana and put on first tier, will be easier to trim and the little finches and sparrows like it.
I had seen blue star creeper on stepables but not sure about it. I think a little more invasive than I want. Plus I need a deeper root.
When I'm pruning in the middle it's easier to go up and come down the steps on the left because it is so steep, so thats why I need it low for foot traffic a bit.

Here's a pic I took in October.
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Ah, that would explain it, Westelle. Mine is in good ole unamended San Jose adobe clay.

gobluedjm, I wonder if some of the lower growing Eriogonums might work for you. or manzanitas like 'Emerald Carpet' or Ceanothus 'Anchor Bay', etc.

Why don't you check Las Pilitas website for suitable native groundcovers for you area.

Here is a link that might be useful: garden design with natives

Thanks for the link Wanda.
I was reading my native book and found both of those you mentioned...now to get enough of them...
I'll have to look into Eriogonums.
I also found creeping Mahonia. It might be a little taller than I want, but if it's prickly it might keep away the slithering critters. I also like its coloring and looks best in winter. I'm not sure it could tolerate my heat since it's native to Northern CA and British Columbia.

OH! I like Mahonia. I didn't know it came as a creeper. I'll look into that for my back slope.... always looking for something more for back there.

Mahonia's really nice, and the heat won't bother it (although I think it would prefer a little shade in that case), but I thought you wanted something tolerant of foot traffic...you really don't want to be stepping on that.

Matt

I just took a bunch of myoporum out of my parking strip, and I have to warn you that it's likely to spread far beyond where you want it. I had to cut it back along the sidewalk and street at least every year, and when I pulled it all out I found that it was "growing" across about 4 ft of solid sidewalk at one end.

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Matt, you are correct I want to walk on it, but I was just thinking if it's prickley I can tolerate that since I think it might discourage slithering citters.

Lusty, thanks so much for the pics. You have the white which my nursery said is taller/longer. I was thinking of the pink. I would rather have the white.

I went to a 2nd nursery today which has tons of pink and a little white. I didn't see any Mahonia and no one around to ask but it's early. It gets 110 here for a couple days usually about 3 times. I have no shade to give it until Oct and then those leaves fall with the temps.

Maybe this is too simple a solution, but wouldn't that old standby Gazania do? Full sun, drought tolerant, withstands light traffic, forms a tight weed resistant mat, spreads by expanding the clump rather than sending out long shoots or runners, comes in several flower colors? Deadheading optional, and it's a real knockout in late spring when in full flower. Plus it's available cheap in flats at big box stores.

That was my first thought too. I use gazanias outside of the beds and around the stepping stones and they can take some moderate abuse and a lot of neglect.