A fast, flat Australian groundcover with small, bright green, slightly fleshy leaves and a brief spring carpet of tiny white flowers. It knits quickly into a dense evergreen mat, which is why it is a common choice for covering slopes and open ground in the Valley.
Living with it in the Phoenix Valley
Watering
Follow the shrub, groundcover and succulent schedule in our Landscape Care guide. It is not as drought tolerant here as it is in coastal California, but overwatering is the bigger risk: soggy soil leads to root rot and sudden dieback. Well-drained soil matters.
Pruning
Trim the edges back as needed to keep it off walks and away from other plants. Stems root where they touch soil, so it will keep moving outward if left alone.
Renewal
Woody stems build up underneath over time. After several years, a planting can look thin or patchy and is often cut out and replaced.
Pests
Spider mites can show up in hot, dry weather. Root rot is the more serious problem, and it almost always traces back to too much water or poor drainage.
How our designers use it
Slopes and large areas
Its quick spread makes it useful for covering banks and wide planting areas where a continuous green mat looks better than bare granite.
Under open-canopy trees
It fills the ground beneath palo verdes and mesquites, softening the space between larger shrubs and accents.
Spilling over edges
Planted at the top of a wall or raised bed, it drapes neatly over the edge.
Good to know
Around the pool
It has no thorns and drops very little litter, so it works near pool decks. The spring flowers draw bees for a few weeks.
Foot traffic
It does not tolerate being walked on. Keep it out of paths and play areas.
