Mowing is the single biggest ongoing job in most Australian gardens, and a lot of lawn does nothing except get mown. If an area is looked at rather than walked on, a groundcover will do the job better - no mower, no edging, less water, and in many cases flowers and habitat as well. The honest catch is that none of these will take the punishment a buffalo lawn handles from kids and a dog, so it pays to be clear about which areas you actually use.
Choosing by how the area is used
| Use | Best options |
|---|---|
| Regular foot traffic, kids, pets | Keep a real lawn. No groundcover substitutes for this |
| Occasional footsteps, stepping stones | Zoysia tenuifolia, dichondra, pratia |
| Looked at, not walked on | Myoporum, grevillea, pigface, hardenbergia |
| Shaded and damp | Native violet, dichondra |
| Hot, dry, sloping | Myoporum, pigface, prostrate grevillea |
The no-mow grass itself
Zoysia tenuifolia is the plant most people mean by no-mow grass. It forms a soft undulating carpet of fine green mounds around 100 mm high and genuinely never needs mowing - mowing it flat destroys the look entirely.
It handles light foot traffic, tolerates sun and part shade, and is drought tolerant once established. It is slow to establish, which is the main trade-off, and it goes dormant and browns off in cold winters. In Brisbane, Sydney and Perth it stays green most of the year.
Native lawn alternatives
Kidney weed
Dichondra repens is an Australian native with small bright green kidney-shaped leaves forming a flat dense mat. It takes light foot traffic, works in sun or shade, and is the closest thing to a genuine native lawn substitute. It wants reasonably consistent moisture and does not suit hot dry exposed positions.
Native violet
Viola hederacea is the answer for damp shade, where lawn is always a struggle. It spreads into a soft green mat with small purple and white flowers through much of the year, tolerates light footsteps, and thrives under trees and along the shaded south side of a house.
Blue star creeper
Pratia pedunculata is the classic plant for between pavers and stepping stones. It hugs the ground at about 50 mm, carries pale blue star flowers in spring and summer, and handles being stepped on regularly. It prefers moisture and part shade.
For hot, dry and sloping ground
Creeping boobialla
Myoporum parvifolium is an Australian native that spreads a metre or more into a dense weed-suppressing mat, thrives in full sun, and needs almost no water once established. It is one of the best plants available for a dry bank or embankment. Yareena and Fine Leaf Pink are selected forms with finer foliage and pink flowers.
Pigface
Carpobrotus is the succulent groundcover of Australian coastal dunes - salt tolerant, drought hardy, and covered in vivid pink and purple flowers. Ideal for coastal gardens, hot exposed banks and anywhere irrigation is not going to happen.
Prostrate grevilleas
Spreading grevilleas such as Mt Tamboritha and Red Wings cover ground while flowering for much of the year and drawing honeyeaters in. They want full sun, sharp drainage and low-phosphorus fertiliser.
Hardenbergia
Meema is the spreading form of the native purple coral pea, making a tough groundcover with a mass of purple flowers in late winter and early spring - a genuinely useful time of year for colour.
Where these work in Australia
- Brisbane and subtropical Queensland - zoysia, dichondra and native violet all perform well. Myoporum needs sharp drainage in wet summers.
- Sydney and coastal NSW - all of the above suit, with pigface excellent on coastal sites.
- Melbourne and Adelaide - myoporum, grevillea and hardenbergia thrive. Zoysia browns off through winter.
- Perth - myoporum and pigface are outstanding in sandy soil. Dichondra needs irrigation.
- Canberra and cold inland - hardenbergia and prostrate grevillea handle frost best.
Establishing a groundcover lawn
- Kill the existing grass completely first. Couch and kikuyu will come back through a new planting and are almost impossible to remove afterwards.
- Prepare the whole area with compost, not just the planting holes.
- Plant densely. 4-6 plants per square metre for fast cover; wider spacing means a longer weeding period.
- Mulch between plants until they knit together.
- Water regularly for the first three months. This is the phase people underestimate.
- Weed diligently in year one. Once the cover closes, weeding drops close to zero, but until then it is real work.
Being realistic about it
Replacing lawn with groundcover trades regular mowing for one intensive establishment year followed by very little. That is a good trade for most people, but it is a trade rather than a free win.
It is also worth keeping some lawn if you have children or dogs. Nothing on this list handles a cricket game. The best approach in most Australian backyards is a smaller, better lawn where it is genuinely used, with groundcover taking over the strips, verges, banks and shaded corners that were never really usable anyway.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best no-mow grass in Australia?
Zoysia tenuifolia is the genuine no-mow grass, forming soft mounds around 100 millimetres high that should never be mown flat. It handles light foot traffic and is drought tolerant, though slow to establish and it browns off in cold winters.
Can I walk on a groundcover lawn?
Lightly. Zoysia tenuifolia, dichondra, native violet and pratia all take occasional footsteps and stepping-stone traffic. None will handle children playing or a dog running on it daily - keep a real lawn for that.
What is the best lawn alternative for shade?
Native violet (Viola hederacea) for damp shade, or dichondra where it is a little brighter. Both do well under trees and along the shaded side of a house, where lawn is always thin and patchy.
What groundcover suits a dry sunny bank?
Creeping boobialla (Myoporum parvifolium) is hard to beat - it spreads a metre or more, suppresses weeds and needs almost no water once established. Pigface and prostrate grevilleas are also excellent in those conditions.
How many plants do I need per square metre?
Four to six for reasonably quick cover. Fewer plants costs less upfront but leaves bare ground that needs weeding for considerably longer before the cover closes.
Do groundcovers use less water than lawn?
Generally yes, particularly the native dry-climate species like myoporum, pigface and grevillea, which survive on rainfall once established. Dichondra and native violet want more moisture and are closer to lawn in water use.
Ready to plant?
We grow the full range of lawn alternatives and groundcovers. Browse our groundcover collection, or groundcovers for low-maintenance gardens.
Related reading: transform your lawn with native plants and the best groundcovers for shade.
