13 Australian native plants to use as a living mulch in your garden
Mulch suppresses weeds, retains moisture and moderates soil temperature. A living mulch does all of the same things and also flowers, provides habitat, fixes nitrogen and improves in ecological value.
The idea is straightforward: instead of a layer of wood chip between your plants, a low-growing, spreading native plant covers the ground. Done well, it creates a self-maintaining ground layer that reduces your maintenance burden over time.
The thirteen plants below span full sun to deep shade, dry to moist soils and temperate to subtropical climates.
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What makes a good living mulch plant
Not every low-growing native works as a living mulch. The plants that do the job well share a few qualities: they spread reliably without becoming aggressive, they stay low enough not to compete with the plants around them, they tolerate the root competition of nearby shrubs and trees and they recover from being walked on or disturbed occasionally.
A living mulch is chosen primarily to cover and protect the soil, with everything else — the flowers, the habitat value, the nitrogen fixing — as a bonus. In practice the best native living mulch plants do both jobs simultaneously.
Living mulch and conventional mulch together
You do not have to choose between the two. The most effective approach is to apply conventional mulch at planting time and establish the living mulch plants into it simultaneously. As the living mulch spreads and fills in, it gradually takes over the soil-covering role. The conventional mulch breaks down and feeds the soil in the meantime.
13 Australian native plants for living mulch
Blue star creeper (Isotoma fluviatilis)
Blue star creeper is one of the most beautiful small native groundcovers available for temperate gardens. It forms a dense, bright green mat at soil level and produces masses of small five-petalled star-shaped flowers in pale blue to violet through spring and summer. It spreads steadily by surface runners that root at nodes as they travel, knitting together quickly into a weed-suppressing carpet. It grows naturally in moist to seasonally dry positions across eastern and southern Australia and handles a wider range of conditions than its delicate appearance suggests — including moderate drought once established and light foot traffic. When sourcing, confirm you are buying the native Isotoma fluviatilis rather than the introduced Laurentia fluviatilis, which is sometimes sold under the same common name and can be invasive.
| Planting tip | Plant tube stock or divisions 20–30cm apart in full sun to part shade. Use a hori-hori to create small planting slots without disturbing surrounding roots. It establishes fastest in positions with some moisture. |
| Establishment | Water lightly every few days for the first month. It spreads quickly once its rooting runners make contact with the soil surface. A terracotta olla buried nearby maintains consistent moisture without surface watering that can displace the fine stems. |
| Maintenance | Essentially none once established. Trim back any runners that escape their intended area with sharp snips. Mow or cut back hard in late winter to refresh the mat and encourage dense new growth in spring. |
Creeping speedwell (Veronica plebeia)
Creeping speedwell is one of the most useful and least known small native groundcovers in temperate eastern Australia. It forms a fine-textured mat of small scalloped leaves and produces tiny four-petalled flowers in pale purple-blue through spring and summer. It spreads readily by trailing stems that root at nodes as they travel and self-seeds in suitable conditions. It grows naturally in dry to moist woodland and grassland edges and handles a wide range of conditions. It is a genuinely valuable living mulch for the shaded or semi-shaded ground.
| Planting tip | Plant tube stock or divisions 20–30cm apart in part to full shade. Use a hori-hori to create small planting slots without disturbing surrounding roots. It establishes fastest in positions with some moisture and dappled light. |
| Establishment | Water lightly every few days for the first month. It spreads quickly once its rooting stems make contact with the soil surface. A terracotta olla buried nearby maintains consistent moisture without surface watering that can displace the fine stems. |
| Maintenance | Essentially none once established. Trim back any stems that escape their intended area with sharp snips. Allow it to self-seed as the seedlings fill gaps and strengthen the mat over time. |
Matted bush-pea (Pultenaea pedunculata)
Matted bush-pea is a mat-forming shrub whose stems spread to a metre or more across the ground, rooting at nodes as they travel. The yellow to orange pea flowers appear in abundance above needle-pointed foliage. It grows in dry forest, woodland and heathland across Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and coastal NSW. It is listed as endangered in NSW, so source from reputable nurseries — never collect plants from the wild. As a legume it fixes atmospheric nitrogen, gradually improving the soil beneath it.
Allthingsnative, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
| Planting tip | Space plants 50–60cm apart in full sun to light shade on well-drained soil. Use a hori-hori for planting. Avoid deep shade as it needs at least a few hours of direct sun to flower and spread well. Do not fertilise. |
| Establishment | Water weekly for the first two months then reduce. It is drought tolerant once established. The rooting stems will begin extending across the soil surface within the first season. |
| Maintenance | Tip-prune lightly after flowering with sharp secateurs to encourage dense lateral spread. Avoid cutting into old wood. See our guide to buying tube stock for the most cost-effective approach across a large area. |
Creeping guinea flower (Hibbertia empetrifolia)
Creeping guinea flower is a fine-textured prostrate shrub that spreads across dry sandy and gravelly soils. The bright yellow five-petalled flowers are produced in spring, covering the plant so densely that the foliage is barely visible. It spreads steadily but not aggressively, covering ground at a pace that allows other plants to establish alongside it. It is almost unknown as a garden plant despite being genuinely well suited to the living mulch role in dry positions.
Allthingsnative, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
| Planting tip | Plant 30–40cm apart in full sun to part shade on dry, well-drained soil. Use a hori-hori to plant tube stock cleanly. |
| Establishment | Water lightly every week for the first two months then leave it alone. A light layer of coarse woodchip mulch between plants while they establish helps retain what moisture does reach the soil. |
| Maintenance | Virtually none. Trim stems that escape their intended area with snips. It does not require annual pruning and performs best when left largely undisturbed. It pairs naturally with other heathland groundcovers. |
Creeping glycine (Glycine tabacina)
Creeping glycine is a native legume that spreads across dry open ground by twining and trailing stems. The small purple pea flowers appear through summer and attract native bees. As a legume it fixes atmospheric nitrogen through root nodules, making it one of the few living mulch plants that actively improves soil fertility. It is found naturally in dry grassland and disturbed ground across eastern Australia.
Harry Rose from South West Rocks, Australia, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
| Planting tip | Plant 40–50cm apart in full sun in well-drained soil. It can be planted directly from tube stock using a trowel or hori-hori. It works particularly well between larger shrubs where the stems can trail freely across the ground. |
| Establishment | Water weekly for the first month. It establishes quickly in warm conditions and begins spreading in its first season. |
| Maintenance | Trim back with secateurs if stems spread beyond their intended area. Cut back hard after flowering in late summer to encourage fresh growth. No fertiliser required as the nitrogen-fixing root system handles its own nutrition and contributes to the surrounding soil. |
Nodding saltbush (Einadia nutans)
Nodding saltbush is one of the most drought-tolerant native groundcovers available. Its arrow-shaped grey-green leaves and sprawling stems cover dry, exposed ground. Small berries follow the flowers and are eaten by birds and lizards, which then distribute seed. It is found naturally at the base of eucalypts and in dry, disturbed ground where it functions as a pioneer groundcover, stabilising soil and creating conditions that allow other plants to establish around it.
| Planting tip | Plant 40–60cm apart in full sun. It tolerates poor, dry and saline soils. Use a hori-hori for tube stock. It also establishes well from seed broadcast directly onto dry soil in autumn. |
| Establishment | Water fortnightly for the first two months then stop. One of the fastest living mulch plants to become genuinely self-sufficient. A terracotta olla beside each plant through the first summer is sufficient establishment support. |
| Maintenance | Cut back by a third in late autumn with sharp secateurs to keep the plant compact and encourage fresh growth. It self-seeds reliably so allow some seed heads to mature before cutting back. No fertiliser required. |
Creeping boobialla (Myoporum parvifolium)
Creeping boobialla is the most effective large-scale living mulch plant on this list. A single plant spreads to 2–3 metres across within a few seasons, forming a dense, weed-suppressing mat that requires almost no maintenance. The small white to pale pink flowers cover the plant in spring and attract native bees, and the tiny purple berries that follow are eaten by small birds. It handles drought, poor soils, coastal conditions and moderate frost.
| Planting tip | Space plants 1–1.5m apart in full sun as they will fill in quickly. It is one of the best choices for coastal positions where salt spray and wind make other groundcovers difficult. |
| Establishment | Water fortnightly for the first season then stop. Once established it is entirely self-sufficient. |
| Maintenance | Trim back any stems that spread beyond their intended area with loppers or secateurs. It can be cut back hard if it becomes woody and will reshoot reliably. See our pruning guide for timing. |
Planting density for living mulch
For quick coverage, plant at half the plant's mature spread rather than full spacing. For a more economical approach, plant at full spacing and use conventional woodchip mulch between plants while they fill in. See our budget guide for the most cost-effective approach to a native garden across a large area.
Pratia (Lobelia pedunculata)
Pratia is one of the most finely textured native groundcovers available. The tiny white to pale blue star-shaped flowers are produced almost continuously through the warmer months and the plant spreads by underground stolons and surface runners. It tolerates light foot traffic once established, making it practical along informal paths and between stepping stones. Native violet is a natural companion that shares almost identical conditions.
| Planting tip | Plant 20–25cm apart in part to full shade in reasonably moist soil. It can be propagated from rooted runners divided from an existing plant. Use a soil knife to cut and lift rooted sections cleanly. See our guide to dividing native plants for technique. |
| Establishment | Keep consistently moist for the first six weeks. Once rooting stolons are visible spreading across the soil surface the plant is establishing well. A terracotta olla in a shaded position maintains the gentle, consistent moisture that pratia needs without waterlogging. |
| Maintenance | Trim back runners that spread beyond their area using sharp snips. It can be lifted and divided in autumn if it becomes congested. |
Running postman (Kennedia prostrata)
Running postman spreads by long trailing stems that cover dry ground quickly and produces vivid scarlet pea flowers through winter and spring. The stems extend across the soil surface, rooting at nodes as they travel and the plant builds a dense layer of cover over dry, exposed ground. As a legume it fixes nitrogen. It is also one of the most important winter nectar plants for native bees and honeyeaters.
| Planting tip | Plant 50–70cm apart in full sun to part shade on well-drained soil. Use a hori-hori to plant tube stock cleanly. It covers ground quickly in its first season so allow enough space for the stems to run freely. |
| Establishment | Water fortnightly for the first two months. It establishes readily and begins spreading in its first growing season. As with all legumes, do not fertilise with phosphorus. |
| Maintenance | Cut back stems that extend beyond their area with secateurs after flowering in late spring. A light cutback after each flowering season keeps the plant vigorous and prevents it becoming woody at the centre. |
Hardenbergia (Hardenbergia violacea prostrate form)
The prostrate form of hardenbergia spreads across the ground rather than climbing, producing the same vivid purple pea flowers through late winter and spring on stems that trail across the soil surface. It handles a wide range of conditions — drought, poor soils, moderate frost and coastal exposure — which makes it one of the most versatile living mulch plants for the middle and back of a garden bed. It is one of the best winter-flowering plants for native bees.
| Planting tip | Plant 50–70cm apart in full sun to part shade on well-drained soil. Specify the prostrate form when ordering. Use a hori-hori for tube stock. It works well at the front of a border or beneath taller shrubs. |
| Establishment | Water fortnightly for the first two months in well-drained soils. It establishes quickly and begins spreading in its first season. As a legume it does not need fertiliser. |
| Maintenance | Prune lightly after flowering in spring with sharp secateurs to encourage fresh lateral growth. Trim stems that escape their area. An annual light prune is the only ongoing maintenance needed. See our pruning guide for timing. |
Native violet (Viola hederacea)
Native violet is one of the most widely loved small groundcovers in Australian gardens. The small purple and white flowers are produced almost year-round in mild climates, the round leaves form a dense, attractive mat and the plant spreads steadily by underground stolons without becoming invasive. It is genuinely shade tolerant, making it one of the best options for the darkest positions in a garden. It can be divided and propagated freely from established clumps, making it very economical to establish across a large area.
| Planting tip | Plant 20–30cm apart in part to full shade in moist, humus-rich soil. Propagate from divisions of established plants — lift rooted sections with a hand trowel and replant immediately into prepared ground. |
| Establishment | Keep consistently moist for the first six to eight weeks. It establishes quickly in suitable shade. Mulch lightly between plants while they fill in to suppress weeds and retain moisture. |
| Maintenance | Trim back runners that spread into paths or beyond their area with snips. It pairs naturally with pratia as the two plants share conditions and will interweave to form a mixed mat that is more ecologically valuable than either alone. |
Kidney weed (Dichondra repens)
Kidney weed forms a dense, flat carpet of small kidney-shaped leaves at soil level. It spreads by runners across moist shaded ground beneath trees. It is naturally suited to the conditions that living mulch needs to address: the difficult, root-dense, shaded ground beneath established plants where bare soil is hard to cover and weeds are persistent. It is also one of the most effective weed suppressors on this list because its very low, dense mat physically prevents seedling establishment beneath it.
| Planting tip | Plant 20–25cm apart in part to full shade in reasonably moist, well-drained soil. It performs best toward the drip line of trees. Use a hori-hori to plant tube stock. It can also be divided from established mats and transplanted directly. |
| Establishment | Water every three to four days for the first month, then weekly for the following month. Once runners are spreading and rooting the plant is establishing. It will cover ground faster in moist, warm conditions. |
| Maintenance | Trim back from paths and edges with snips as needed. It rarely needs attention beyond occasional edging. In heavy shade it may thin out slightly in very dry conditions. |
Pigface (Carpobrotus rossii and C. glaucescens)
Pigface is the most effective living mulch for exposed, dry and coastal positions. The thick, triangular succulent leaves store water against drought, the long trailing stems root at nodes as they spread across sandy soil and the vivid pink-purple flowers in spring provide nectar for native bees. A single plant covers two or more metres of ground within a few seasons. It is one of the most reliable plants available for stabilising dry, exposed sandy ground while simultaneously providing colour and habitat.
| Planting tip | Plant 60–80cm apart in full sun in dry, well-drained to sandy soil. Use a hori-hori to plant tube stock. It is particularly effective on slopes and embankments where its rooting stems physically anchor the soil. |
| Establishment | It is one of the most drought-tolerant plants on this list and overwatering causes more problems than underwatering. It will establish and begin spreading within the first season even without supplemental irrigation in most temperate climates. |
| Maintenance | Trim back stems that extend beyond their area with loppers or secateurs. Remove any stems showing die-back from the base. It requires no fertiliser. |
Combining plants for layered ground coverage
The most effective living mulch plantings use two or three species together rather than one. A tall-growing spreader like creeping boobialla or pigface covers the main ground area quickly while a fine-textured mat-former like kidney weed or creeping speedwell fills the gaps between stems and along edges. A flowering legume like running postman, hardenbergia or creeping glycine woven through the planting adds nitrogen, winter colour and pollinator value.
The combinations that work best are those that match conditions rather than simply mixing plants at random. In a dry, sunny position, pigface plus running postman plus nodding saltbush covers every layer. In a shaded, moist position, kidney weed plus native violet plus pratia creates a mixed mat that is more resilient and ecologically richer than any single species alone. In a dry, partly shaded position, creeping boobialla plus hardenbergia prostrate form provides cover and flowers across most of the year.
The underlying logic is the same as layered planting applied at ground level — different plants filling different niches, each one making the others more viable by covering the soil between them and reducing the conditions that allow weeds to establish.
keep reading
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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