12 ground-hugging Australian natives with spectacular flowers
Ground-hugging shrubs (botanically described as prostrate) are among the most structurally distinctive plants in the Australian flora. Rather than growing upward, they spread their stems horizontally along the soil surface, often covering several square metres while not reaching any great height.
The prostrate habit is an adaptation rather than a limitation. In the wind-exposed coastal heathlands, granite outcrops and sandplains, growing low is a survival strategy as it reduces wind resistance, conserves moisture and, in fire-prone landscapes, allows the plant to regenerate from underground root systems or from seed. In the garden, these same qualities make prostrate shrubs genuinely useful: they suppress weeds, stabilise slopes and tolerate conditions that defeat more conventional plants.
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1. Petiolate banksia (Banksia petiolaris)
WA endemic · Esperance coastal sandplain · Proteaceae
WA · SA · VIC · NSW · Frost tolerant · Excellent drainage essential · No phosphorus fertiliser
Banksia petiolaris' serrated leaves grow upwards on petioles up to 15cm long, producing an effect unlike any other banksia in cultivation. They appear as a low carpet from which yellow cylindrical flower spikes emerge in spring to stand 10–16cm above the ground. The flower spikes are pollinated by insects including bees, wasps and ants rather than birds.
Allthingsnative, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A study published in 1992 recorded individual leaf lifespans of up to 13 years in this species, the longest recorded for any flowering plant. It spreads steadily to around 2m across and will grow in well-drained, preferably sandy soils across a wide range of states. Plant using a hand fork into free-draining soil in full sun. See our guide to growing banksias for climate-matched alternatives.
2. Fern-leaf banksia (Banksia blechnifolia)
WA endemic · Lake King sandplain · Proteaceae
WA · SA · VIC · NSW · Frost tolerant once established · Well-drained sandy soil · No phosphorus fertiliser
Banksia blechnifolia produces its flower cones at ground level, nestled among the foliage where small animals and insects can reach them easily. The cones emerge from September to November in a range of colours from dusky pink and rust-red to cream and burnt orange. The species name comes from Blechnum, a genus of ferns, because of the long serrated leaves.
Cygnis insignis, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
It covers 2–4m in good conditions and has proven highly adaptable in eastern Australian gardens despite its WA origin. It is salt-tolerant, bird-attracting and exceptionally low maintenance once established. Plant on a slight slope where possible to ensure water moves away from the crown. Prune lightly after flowering to encourage denser stems and more flower cones.
3. Naked-flower grevillea (Grevillea nudiflora)
WA endemic · South coast sandplain and heath · Proteaceae
WA · SA · VIC · NSW · Drought tolerant · Well-drained soil · No phosphorus fertiliser
The common name refers to the way this grevillea carries its flowers: on long trailing peduncles that can extend 2.5m from the plant. The effect in flower is of a low carpet of foliage with flower clusters emerging apparently at random. It is bird-pollinated, so the long peduncles serve a practical function to bring its flowers within reach of ground-foraging birds.
Melburnian, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
It performs best in full sun with excellent drainage and handles drought and a range of soil types once established. It looks great cascading over a retaining wall or spreading across a sunny bank where the trailing flower stems can run freely. See our guide to growing grevilleas for companion species.
How prostrate shrubs suppress weeds
A dense prostrate shrub suppresses weeds through two mechanisms: physical exclusion and light denial. Stems that spread across the soil surface block weed seedlings from reaching the light they need to establish, while the canopy above — however low — shades the soil and prevents germination. Plants that also root at the nodes create an additional layer of competition by drawing water and nutrients from a wide root zone.
4. Southern grevillea (Grevillea australis)
SE Australia · VIC · NSW · SA · TAS · Cool temperate to subalpine · Proteaceae
VIC · NSW · SA · TAS · ACT · Frost hardy · Tolerates poor soils · No phosphorus fertiliser
Grevillea australis is the only species in the genus to grow naturally in Tasmania. It is highly variable across its range, with the most prostrate forms occurring in exposed subalpine and coastal heathland positions. The white to pale pink flowers are produced in clusters along the stems from late winter through spring and are a valuable nectar source for eastern spinebills and small honeyeaters.
peganum from Henfield, England, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
In cool temperate gardens it is one of the most reliable and frost-hardy prostrate shrubs available. It grows in a wide range of free-draining soils including poor, rocky and clay and performs well in positions with some shade. Tip pruning after the main spring flush keeps growth dense and promotes the following season's flowering.
5. Lavender grevillea (Grevillea lavandulacea)
SA and VIC endemic · Mallee and dry sclerophyll · Proteaceae
SA · VIC · NSW · Frost tolerant · Drought tolerant · Well-drained soil · No phosphorus fertiliser
Lavender grevillea is one of the most variable species in the genus. The Tanunda form from the Barossa Valley region of SA is the most widely grown of the prostrate selections. The grey-green foliage with its silky underside gives the plant its common name, referencing a similarity to lavender in leaf texture and colour.
Melburnian, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
It handles the dry, often alkaline soils of the SA and VIC mallee and is both frost and drought tolerant. The red spider flowers attract honeyeaters throughout the flowering season. Prune lightly after flowering with secateurs to maintain compact growth.
6. Spreading correa (Correa decumbens)
SA endemic · Mount Lofty Ranges · Kangaroo Island · Rutaceae
SA · VIC · TAS · NSW (cultivated) · Frost hardy · Tolerates dry periods · Suits shaded positions
Spreading correa is endemic to South Australia, growing naturally in the stringybark forests of the southern Mount Lofty Ranges and on Kangaroo Island. What distinguishes it from other correas is its flowering pattern: it produces two distinct seasons of bloom, one from November to February and another from April to August.
C T Johansson, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
In the garden, it performs best in the dappled shade it would experience beneath eucalyptus trees in the wild, though it tolerates full sun in cooler climates. Free-draining soil is essential; waterlogging is its main vulnerability. Tip prune lightly after each main flush with secateurs to maintain density. See our guide to winter-flowering natives for companion planting suggestions.
Planting prostrate shrubs for best effect
Prostrate shrubs perform best when planted on a slight slope or at the edge of a raised bed where their stems can trail naturally rather than sitting in any pooled water. Give each plant the full width it will eventually reach — most of those listed here spread 1–3m. A coarse mulch layer kept slightly back from the crown will retain soil moisture, suppress weeds and encourage the stems to root as they spread. See our planting guide for more detail on establishment.
7. Prostrate emu bush (Eremophila glabra)
WA origin · Naturally prostrate populations from Kalbarri region · Scrophulariaceae
All states · Drought tolerant · Frost tolerant · Wide range of soils · Low maintenance
The naturally prostrate forms from the Kalbarri region of WA produce dense mats of silver-grey foliage to around 20cm high and 2m across, with yellow to orange tubular flowers held just above the foliage. The silver-grey leaves are a particularly useful garden asset — they contrast strongly with darker-foliaged plants and retain their ornamental value through the entire year regardless of flowering.
Allthingsnative, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The flowering period of the prostrate form is long, covering spring through summer with additional spot flowers in autumn and winter. The tubular flowers attract nectar-feeding birds throughout. It grows in a remarkable range of soils including sandy loam, clay, limestone and gravelly substrates, and handles both drought and frost. See our guide to native plants for dry gardens for companion species.
8. Creeping boobialla (Myoporum parvifolium)
Widespread · SA · VIC · NSW · WA · Coastal and inland · Myoporaceae
All states · Frost tolerant · Drought tolerant · Adaptable soils · Widely available
Creeping boobialla is the most widely distributed and widely available plant on this list, growing in a range of conditions. It forms a dense mat of narrow, semi-succulent leaves on trailing stems that root at the nodes as they spread, eventually covering 3m or more. From late spring through to early autumn it produces small star-shaped flowers in white or pale pink with purple spots.
Its value in the garden lies in its exceptional adaptability. It grows in clay, sandy loam, coastal sand and moderately poor soils, handles both full sun and part shade, tolerates drought once established and is widely used for erosion control on slopes and embankments. Light pruning after the main flowering flush maintains density and prevents the centre from becoming bare and woody over time.
9. Common dampiera (Dampiera diversifolia)
WA endemic · Southern coastal heath and woodland · Goodeniaceae
WA · SA · VIC · NSW · Drought tolerant · Well-drained soil · Frost tolerant
Dampiera diversifolia produces vivid blue flowers with contrasting pale centres that covers the plant so densely in spring and summer that the foliage is barely visible. The flowers are in the Goodeniaceae family, the same uniquely Australian family as scaevola and share the asymmetric petal arrangement characteristic of the group.
mrpbps, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
It is a WA endemic that has performed well in cultivation, tolerating drought, light frost and a range of well-drained soil types. Plant in full sun for the most prolific flowering, or in light shade where it will flower less intensely but remain healthy. Avoid heavy clay and waterlogged positions.
10. Muntries (Kunzea pomifera)
SA and VIC coastal · Coorong · Limestone Coast · Myrtaceae
SA · VIC · Frost tolerant · Moderate moisture · Well-drained soil · Edible fruit
Muntries has fluffy white flowers in spring that give way to small red and green berries that attract native birds. Ngarrindjeri people of the Coorong in SA dried the crushed berries into a paste for trading and winter storage. European settlers adopted them quickly for pies, jellies and preserves and the species was introduced to cultivation in England as early as 1889.
In the garden it forms a dense, self-rooting mat of small glossy rounded leaves on stems that spread to 2m. It is well-suited to SA and VIC coastal gardens where the combination of limestone soils, moderate rainfall and coastal exposure matches its natural conditions. Propagate from cuttings or by layering stems that already have contact with the soil.
11. Trailing guinea flower (Hibbertia empetrifolia)
SE Australia · VIC · NSW · SA · TAS · NT · Woodland and forest margins · Dilleniaceae
VIC · NSW · SA · TAS · NT · Frost tolerant · Drought tolerant · Well-drained soil
Hibbertia empetrifolia is the most widely distributed hibbertia in southeastern Australia and one of the longest-flowering plants in this list. The flowers are small and five-petalled, produced singly on the ends of branchlets. The fine, needle-like leaves give the plant a delicate texture.
Allthingsnative, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The habit of rooting at the nodes allows the plant to renew itself continually as older central stems die back. It performs well at the base of larger native shrubs where it receives some filtered light, and is effective trailing over a low wall or rock edge. See our guide to native plants for bees — hibbertia is an important pollen source for native bees.
12. Prostrate geebung (Persoonia chamaepitys)
NSW endemic · Upper Goulburn River Valley · Hunter region · Proteaceae
NSW · ACT · Cool temperate · Sandy, free-draining soil · Difficult to cultivate
Prostrate geebung is challenging to source. It is endemic to a restricted area of NSW, growing in sandstone-based soils in open heath and woodland in the upper Goulburn River Valley and Hunter region. The plant spreads to 2m across while remaining only 20cm high, producing bright green spine-like leaves and small yellow flowers from October to January.
Casliber, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
For gardeners in the right climate with the right conditions, it rewards the effort with a genuinely distinctive plant that very few people grow. Requires sandy, free-draining, acidic soil in full sun and resents root disturbance once established.
Planting and care notes
Avoid waterlogging
Excellent drainage is the most critical factor for these plants. Prostrate stems lying on soil are particularly vulnerable to collar rot and root disease in waterlogged conditions. A position on a gentle slope, at the edge of a raised bed or above a retaining wall addresses this naturally.
Provide enough space
A plant that spreads 2m needs 2m of space from the start — neighbouring plants placed inside that radius will be engulfed or damaged within a few seasons. In the first year, the gap looks large. By year three it will be filled. Use a coarse mulch layer to manage weeds in the interim.
Go easy on fertiliser
The proteaceous species (both banksias, all four grevilleas, the correa and the persoonia) are sensitive to phosphorus. Use only a low-phosphorus native fertiliser applied once in spring if feeding at all. Most of these plants perform better with no fertiliser and a good organic mulch than with any conventional garden feed. See our soil care guide for detail on preparing the right conditions before planting.
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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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