12 Australian native running groundcovers with beautiful flowers
Some of the most interesting groundcovers in the Australian flora are also generous flowerers, supporting pollinators while doing the practical work of holding ground.
The plants on this list spread by runners that root at the nodes, forming dense mats that expand gradually outward. The result is a planting that fills space without height and flowers without asking for much in return.
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1. Creeping bossiaea (Bossiaea prostrata)
Creeping bossiaea is rarely seen in gardens. Its prostrate stems spread low along the ground, producing yellow and red pea flowers in spring that sit close to the foliage rather than standing above it. The overall effect is genuinely beautiful and the plant has an understated, grassland quality that suits naturalistic plantings well.
DavidFrancis34 from Australia, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
It is native to grasslands and grassy woodlands across south-eastern Australia, where it weaves between other low plants in open ground. In gardens it tolerates poor, dry soils and open exposure and performs best without enrichment or heavy watering.
2. Dampiera (Dampiera diversifolia)
Dampiera has small, five-petalled flowers that are a rich blue-purple, produced in abundance from winter through spring on low, spreading stems that extend outward by underground runners. In the right conditions it can cover a wide area relatively quickly and forms a loose, open mat that is attractive even when not in flower.
mrpbps, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
It is native to Western Australia and suited to the dry summer conditions of the south-west, performing best in free-draining, sandy or gravelly soils. It does not tolerate waterlogged soils or humid subtropical conditions. In eastern Australia it can be grown in similar dry, well-drained positions but is more reliable in WA gardens. Worth seeking out for the flower colour alone; there is nothing else quite like it at ground level.
Groundcovers and soil health
A dense mat of creeping groundcover moderates soil temperature, reduces moisture loss from the surface, prevents compaction from rain impact and feeds the soil with organic matter as older stems and leaves break down. In a native garden, a well-established groundcover layer is one of the most productive things you can plant.
3. Stalked guinea flower (Hibbertia pedunculata)
Stalked guinea flower is a genuinely prostrate species, quite unlike the more familiar climbing or scrambling hibbertias. Its stems spread low across the ground and root at the nodes as they travel, forming a compact, weed-suppressing mat that can spread to around 60cm from a single plant. Bright yellow flowers are produced from spring through summer, carried on stalked stems just above the foliage.
Allthingsnative, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
It occurs in open forests and coastal areas of NSW and eastern Victoria, tolerating a range of conditions including light frost. It is notably more resilient than most hibbertias, which are often susceptible to root rot; the habit of rooting at the nodes appears to contribute to its hardiness. Plant at 50 centimetre centres in free-draining soil and allow the mat to fill over one to two seasons. Propagate from cuttings taken when new growth begins to harden.
4. Running postman (Kennedia prostrata)
Running postman produces vivid scarlet pea flowers from late winter through spring, carrying some of the most intense red in the native groundcover palette. The stems trail long distances across the ground, rooting as they go, and the plant can cover a surprisingly wide area in a single season once established. It tolerates coastal exposure, poor soils, dry conditions and light frost.
It is particularly valuable in late winter when very little else is flowering and honeyeaters and native bees are actively foraging. Plant in free-draining soil in full sun for the strongest flowering. It will grow in light shade but flowering is reduced. Avoid disturbing the root zone once established as the plant can be slow to recover from heavy cultivation.
Planting creeping groundcovers
Most creeping groundcovers establish most quickly from a handful of starter plants spaced 30 to 50 centimetres apart. Given consistent moisture in the first season, runners will fill the gaps within six to twelve months. Resist the urge to plant too closely as the spreading habit does the work.
5. Creeping boobialla (Myoporum parvifolium)
Creeping boobialla is one of the most broadly planted native groundcovers in drier parts of Australia. Its stems trail across the ground and set roots at the nodes as they spread, forming a dense mat up to three metres in diameter from a single plant. Small white flowers with purple spots appear from the leaf axils through spring and summer.
It tolerates drought, salt, poor soils and light frost and adapts readily to sandy, loamy and clay conditions. It is one of the best options for slopes and embankments where erosion control is needed. It does not tolerate foot traffic or alkaline soils and can develop bare spots in the centre as it ages; fill these with hardened cuttings taken from the current season's growth. Plant at least 1.5 metres apart to allow for its eventual spread.
6. Swamp mazus (Mazus pumilio)
Container friendlySwamp mazus forms a completely prostrate mat of small leaves and produces tiny mauve to purple flowers with white and yellow markings from spring through summer. At close range the flowers have a markings pattern that resembles a miniature snapdragon. The plant spreads by surface runners and can cover a wide area in moist conditions.
Nadiatalent, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
It suits lawn substitute plantings in shaded or semi-shaded positions, path edges and the margins of water features. It tolerates light foot traffic and grows well in shallow containers. Worth noting that in SA it is a threatened species in the wild, making it a plant with conservation value beyond its garden use.
7. Pratia (Lobelia pedunculata)
Container friendlyPratia is a genuinely low plant, forming a tight, ground-hugging mat of small leaves studded with star-shaped pale blue to white flowers. It spreads steadily by runners and roots freely at each node, making it one of the most effective mat-forming groundcovers in the cool and cool-temperate palette. It reads almost like a flowering lawn, especially when planted across a wide area.
It prefers reasonably moist conditions and performs well in both sun and partial shade, which gives it more flexibility than many groundcovers. Avoid poorly drained or waterlogged soils as the mat can collapse in very wet winters. Clip lightly if the centre becomes congested.
8. Dune fan-flower (Scaevola calendulacea)
Dune fan-flower takes the distinctive half-flower shape of the scaevola genus and delivers it in a spreading plant. The lilac to pale purple fan-flowers are produced almost continuously through the warmer months and the trailing stems root at the nodes across sandy, free-draining soils. It is native to coastal dunes and sandy soils around much of the Australian coastline.
Poyt448, Peter Woodard, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
It tolerates salt spray, dry conditions and wind. In the right position it can spread to cover a substantial area and rarely needs attention. Less well suited to heavier soils or humid inland climates; in those conditions it tends to be short-lived.
9. Swamp isotome (Isotoma fluviatilis)
Container friendlySwamp isotome is a small but beautiful groundcover that produces pale blue star-shaped flowers on short stems above a dense creeping mat. It spreads by stolons and roots freely at the nodes, covering ground steadily across most of the year. The flowers appear through spring and summer and are reliably visited by small native bees.
Stitchingbushwalker, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Despite the common name, it is more adaptable to dry conditions than its name suggests, performing well in both moist and reasonably dry positions across a wide range of climates. It suits lawn substitute plantings, path edges, rockeries and shallow containers. It tolerates moderate foot traffic and recovers quickly. Propagate by division or by pegging stems to encourage rooting at new nodes.
10. Round-leaf pigface (Disphyma crassifolium)
Round-leaf pigface is a succulent groundcover with fleshy, cylindrical leaves and vivid pink daisy-like flowers produced from spring through autumn. The stems trail along the ground and root readily at the nodes, forming a dense mat that stabilises soil effectively. It is one of the most drought and salt tolerant groundcovers in the Australian flora.
Jean and Fred Hort, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
It tolerates saline soils, salt spray, poor drainage, dry periods and light frost, making it one of the most broadly resilient options on this list. The leaves and fruit are edible and have long been used in indigenous bush tucker traditions. It is closely related to Carpobrotus rossii (karkalla), the other native pigface of southern coasts, which has larger flowers and fruit and suits similar conditions.
11. Native violet (Viola hederacea)
Container friendlyNative violet spreads by runners that root as they travel, forming a dense, weed-suppressing mat in positions where most other flowering plants give up entirely. The small purple and white flowers appear from late winter through summer and in sheltered positions continue almost year-round.
It is one of the very few flowering natives that genuinely thrives in full shade under established trees, filling the difficult dry zone beneath canopies. It is also a larval host for the common grass-blue and meadow argus butterflies. Propagate by division of established clumps or by pegging runners to encourage rooting at new nodes.
12. Kidney weed (Dichondra repens)
Container friendlyKidney weed is one of the most widely distributed of all Australian native groundcovers, occurring across every state and tolerating a broader range of conditions than almost anything else on this list. It spreads by creeping stems that root at every node, forming a dense, soft mat of small kidney-shaped leaves. The flowers are tiny and white, and while they are not the main attraction, the plant produces them reliably through the warmer months.
It grows in sun or shade, tolerates moderate foot traffic, establishes readily and fills ground quickly. It is one of the better lawn alternatives for shaded positions under established trees. It suits hanging baskets and containers where the stems spill attractively over the edge. In very exposed or dry positions it can thin out, but in most temperate and subtropical gardens it asks for very little.
Choosing the right groundcover for your garden
The most important variable for any creeping groundcover is moisture. The plants on this list range from those that need reliable moisture to thrive (native violet, pratia, swamp mazus) to those that are most at home in dry, lean soils (running postman, creeping bossiaea, dampiera, creeping boobialla). Matching plant to condition at the outset avoids the frustration of a mat that establishes then collapses in its second summer, or a vigorous spreader that overwhelms a position it was never suited to.
Light is the other key variable. Most of these plants prefer sun, but native violet, pratia, kidney weed and swamp isotome all perform genuinely well in shade, which makes them unusually valuable in the parts of a garden that other plants avoid.
Used well, a layer of flowering groundcovers changes the character of a garden from the ground up. The canopy and mid-storey get most of the attention, but the ground layer is where insects feed, where soil is protected and where the garden's texture and detail live closest to the eye.
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A Guide to Australian Native Gardening
How to plan, plant and care for a thriving native garden, whatever your experience level.
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