Round

Round-Leaf Pigface (Disphyma crassifolium) is the succulent native groundcover for the spots nothing else will hold: dry sandy banks, exposed coastal edges and hot gravel beds. It grows only about 15cm high but spreads to roughly 1.2m across, laying down a dense mat of plump green foliage that flushes pink and purple with daisy like flowers in spring. Planted 50cm apart it closes over quickly.

Why you'll love it

• Real coastal toughness. Salt spray, sand and sea wind are its natural conditions, so a front line dune or beachside verge suits it.
• Fast, low cover. A dense mat at 15cm high, so it suppresses weeds without ever needing to be cut back off a path.
• Bright flowering. Pink and purple flowers open across the mat, and bees and butterflies work them heavily.
• Almost nothing to do. Frost hardy, heat tolerant, drought tolerant and content in poor soil, with no feeding or pruning routine to keep.

Where it works best

Groundcover and mass planting. Plant 50cm apart for quick cover. At that spacing the mats knit within a season in a warm position, and a little wider is fine if you are patient.

Retaining walls and slopes. The stems root as they run, which is what makes it useful for binding a bank or spilling over a wall where mowing is not an option.

Coastal gardens and rockeries. It takes salt, sand and reflected heat, so it works between rocks, along gravel edges and in beds that irrigation never reaches properly.

Growing Round-Leaf Pigface in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, always. It grows across subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate, Mediterranean and arid gardens, and is frost hardy once established. In shade it stretches, thins out and barely flowers.

Soil. Sandy or gravelly ground is ideal and poor soil is no problem, but drainage is not negotiable. On clay, plant into a raised bed or a mound with coarse sand or gravel worked through.

Water and feed. Water weekly for the first six to eight weeks to root it in, then leave it alone except in prolonged drought. Fertiliser is unnecessary and encourages soft growth that rots.

Pruning. None needed. Trim runners back at the edges when it reaches where you want it to stop, and lift and replant a few rooted pieces if a patch thins out.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown as tubestock, which is the sensible format for a groundcover because you are buying by the number of plants rather than by size. Each one arrives as a small rooted piece with a few succulent stems, and it will look modest in the bed for the first month.

Succulent foliage travels well, and the odd broken stem simply strikes where it lands. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee. Expect visible spread within six to eight weeks in warm weather and full cover in a season.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full groundcover range
• Compare coastal and salt tolerant plants
• More succulents for hot dry positions
• Trailing plants for a retaining wall

Common questions

How many plants do I need?

At 50cm spacing you need roughly four plants per square metre. Stretching to 60cm cuts the plant count by about a third and adds a season before the ground is covered.

Will it survive on a coastal front block?

Yes. It is a native coastal mat plant, so salt spray, sand and wind are its normal conditions rather than a stress it merely tolerates.

How much water does it need once established?

Very little. After the first couple of months it can be left to natural rainfall in most gardens, and overwatering in heavy soil is the main way it is lost.