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Myoporum and Creeping Boobialla

Myoporum is one of the hardest working native ground covers. Creeping boobialla lies flat to the ground, spreads up to 2m from a single plant and knits into a dense green carpet that shades out weeds. Starry white or pink flowers dot it through spring and summer. It handles drought, frost, coastal wind and heavy soil, which is why it covers so many road verges and banks. This range has fine, broad and purple leaved forms. Every plant is delivered Australia wide.

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How to choose a myoporum

All of these are forms of Myoporum parvifolium, and all stay about 15cm high. The difference is leaf and flower. Fine Leaf has narrow leaves and the tightest, most lawn like texture, with white flowers. Broad Leaf is faster and covers ground a little more loosely, which helps on a big bank. Fine Leaf Pink and Coarse Leaf Pink carry pink flowers. Purple creeping boobialla has leaves that flush plum in cold weather. Yareena is a selected form bred for dense, even growth and heavy white flowering, the usual choice for commercial landscapes.

Where myoporum works

Use it wherever you need to cover ground cheaply and for good: batters and embankments, nature strips, around trees, between shrubs and over the tops of retaining walls, where it trails down. It grows in full sun or light shade, in sand or clay, and takes frost and salt wind. It tolerates the odd footstep but is not a lawn for play. It is among the fastest natives in our ground cover range and a staple of plants for mass planting.

Planting and spacing

Plant 1m apart for full cover in about a year, or 70cm apart if you want it sooner. On a slope, set plants in staggered rows and mulch between them to hold the soil until they meet. Water in, then weekly through the first summer.

Care basics

Once established, myoporum lives on rainfall in most districts. Trim the edges with shears or a line trimmer once or twice a year where it meets paths. If an old patch thins in the middle, cut it back in spring and feed lightly with a native fertiliser to bring on new growth. Good drainage keeps it dense for longer: in very wet soil it can die out in patches. It pairs well with our other Australian natives.

Common questions

How fast does myoporum spread?

Fast. A single plant can cover a square metre or more in its first year in warm conditions.

Can you walk on myoporum?

It takes occasional light foot traffic. For a path, add stepping stones rather than walking on it daily.

How far apart do I plant myoporum?

About 1m apart, or 70cm for faster cover.

Does myoporum need watering?

Only while it establishes and in extended drought. It is one of the more drought hardy ground covers.