Grey Guinea Flower Prostrate

Grey Guinea Flower (Hibbertia obtusifolia, prostrate form) is a hardy south eastern Australian native that spreads to about 1m wide and stays under 25cm tall. It carries bright yellow open faced flowers over grey green foliage for months from spring, and once it is down it needs almost nothing: no water in an average season, no feeding, no clipping. For a bank or a rockery that has beaten everything else, this is the plant to try.

Why you'll love it

• A metre of cover from one plant. It spreads flat and wide, so a small number of plants covers a surprising amount of ground.
• Months of yellow. The flowers open through spring and into summer, at a scale that reads as a carpet of colour rather than isolated blooms.
• Frost and drought in one plant. Properly frost hardy and genuinely drought tolerant, and it grows in poor stony soil that defeats most groundcovers.
• Bees and butterflies work it. The open flowers are easy for insects to use, which makes it a good understorey layer in a native garden.

Where it works best

Groundcover and mass planting. Plant 50cm apart for a spreading cover. At that spacing the plants knit into continuous foliage within two seasons and shade out most weed seedlings.

Rockeries and retaining walls. It drapes over stone and edges without becoming a mound, and the drought tolerance suits the dry, sharp drainage of a rockery pocket.

Slopes and borders. On a bank the spreading habit holds soil between plants, and along a path edge it stays low enough that it never needs cutting back off the paving.

Growing grey guinea flower in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun for the heaviest flowering, though it accepts part shade with fewer flowers and looser growth. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens, which covers most of the country outside the wet tropics, and it is frost hardy enough for tableland and southern winters.

Soil. Free draining is the only real requirement. Sandy, gravelly and poor soils are ideal and no soil improvement is needed. On heavy clay, plant on a slight mound and keep mulch thin so the crown stays dry.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer to get the roots down, then only in prolonged dry spells. Feeding is unnecessary; if you do feed, use a low phosphorus native fertiliser in early spring, since standard products can damage native roots.

Pruning. A light shear after the main flowering flush keeps it dense and encourages a second showing. Avoid cutting into bare woody stems, which are slow to reshoot.

What to expect when it arrives

This one is grown in tube stock only, which is exactly right for the way it is used. Groundcovers establish faster from small plants than from large ones, and at tube price you can afford the numbers a mass planting needs. Expect a young plant with a small spread of stems rather than instant cover.

Allow one full growing season for each plant to reach around half its final spread, and two seasons for a planting to close over. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Compare options in our guide to ground cover plants.
• Browse the full groundcover range.
• See more yellow flowering options in native plants with yellow flowers.
• Find companions in rockery plants.

Common questions

How many plants do I need per square metre?

At 50cm spacing, four plants cover a square metre. For a faster closing cover on a visible bank, tighten to 40cm and accept the extra cost.

Will it take foot traffic?

No. It is a spreading shrub rather than a lawn substitute, and stems break under regular treading. Use it beside paths, not on them.

Does it need mulch?

A thin layer while it establishes helps with weeds, but keep it away from the stems. Once the plants meet, their own foliage does the job.