Pigface

Pigface 'Aussie Rambler' (Carpobrotus glaucescens 'Aussie Rambler') is the groundcover for the spot nothing else will hold: hot, dry, sandy, salty or steep. It stays around 15cm high and spreads to about 2m, a thick mat of grey green succulent leaves studded with pink and purple daisy like flowers through the warm months. An Australian native, fast, and once down it needs almost nothing.

Why you'll love it

• It covers ground quickly. Fast growing stems root as they run, so a planting closes over in a season rather than three.
• Salt, sand and drought are no obstacle. Coastal and salt tolerant, comfortable in poor soil, and the fleshy leaves store enough water to ride out a dry summer.
• Native, edible and good for bees. The fruit is traditional bush tucker, and the flowers bring in bees and butterflies through the warmer months.
• Safe around pets. It is listed as pet friendly, so it suits a backyard where dogs run across it.

Where it works best

Groundcover and mass planting. Plant 60cm apart for quick cover. At that spacing the runners meet within a season in a warm garden, and the mat suppresses most weeds once it closes.

Coastal gardens. Salt spray and sandy soil are its natural conditions, so it works where lawn and most shrubs give up.

Retaining walls, slopes and rockeries. The rooting stems bind loose soil on a batter, the trailing habit spills neatly over a wall edge, and between rocks it fills gaps unattended.

Growing Pigface in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, always. Shade gives thin, stretched growth and few flowers. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, Mediterranean and arid gardens, and it takes light frost only, so hard frosting inland and cold southern districts will damage it over winter.

Soil. Sandy or gravelly ground is ideal, and poor soil is fine. What it will not accept is heavy, wet clay, where the stems rot at the crown. On clay, plant on a raised mound with coarse sand or gravel through the bed.

Water and feed. Water weekly for the first two months to get roots down, then only in extended dry spells. Feeding is largely unnecessary, and rich soil produces soft growth that rots. A light dose of low phosphorus native fertiliser in spring is plenty.

Pruning. Cut back stray runners at any time of year. If a patch goes woody and bare in the centre after several years, shear it hard and it will reshoot from the base.

What to expect when it arrives

Two sizes are grown: tubes and 140mm pots in packs of ten. Tubes are small, usually a single rooted stem, and the economical way to cover a large area. Tube stock is currently on backorder, so allow extra time. The 140mm packs give a faster result and suit a wall edge or a rockery.

Succulent plants travel well because the leaves carry their own moisture, though a few stems may snap in transit. They root again wherever they touch soil, so there is nothing to fix. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Expect visible spread within four to six weeks in warm weather, under our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Choosing ground cover plants
• Browse the groundcover range
• Coastal and salt tolerant plants
• Plants for retaining walls and slopes

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it?

Sixty centimetres apart for quick cover. In a warm garden with water through the first season the runners will meet and close over well within twelve months.

Will it take over the garden?

It spreads steadily and will run across a path if you let it, but the stems are shallow rooted and easy to pull back. Treat one edge trim a year as part of the deal.

Is the fruit really edible, and is the plant safe around dogs?

The fruit has long been eaten as bush tucker, with a salty, fig like flavour when fully ripe, so only eat fruit you have grown and not sprayed. It is also listed as pet friendly and takes animal foot traffic better than most groundcovers.