Carpet Star Zieria

Carpet Star Zieria (Zieria prostrata 'Carpet Star') is an Australian native groundcover that stays under 20cm tall and spreads to about 1m, hugging the ground like a fine green mat. Through late winter and spring it is smothered in small white and pink star flowers, and the foliage gives off a clean citrus scent when you brush past. Frost hardy, salt tolerant and drought tolerant once established is a rare combination in a groundcover.

Why you'll love it

• A genuinely flat groundcover. Under 20cm tall and spreading to 1m, it covers ground without the mounding habit that makes many so called groundcovers look lumpy.
• It flowers when little else does. The white and pink stars arrive in late winter and carry through spring, filling the gap before the summer garden starts.
• Aromatic foliage. Brush the leaves and you get a fresh citrus scent, which makes it worth planting beside a path or along a step edge.
• Coast and cold both suit it. Frost hardy, salt tolerant, wind tolerant and drought tolerant once established, so it handles exposed sites that defeat softer plants.

Where it works best

Groundcover and mass planting. Plant 50cm apart for a dense groundcover, which works out to about four plants per square metre. At that spacing the mats knit together within a season or two and weeds have nowhere to start.

Coastal gardens. Salt and wind tolerance make it reliable on exposed coastal verges and courtyards where most groundcovers burn off.

Retaining walls, slopes and rockeries. It spills neatly over a wall edge and its fibrous roots hold soil on a bank.

Growing Carpet Star Zieria in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun for the densest mat, or light shade in hot inland gardens. It suits warm temperate, subtropical, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens, and being frost hardy it is one of the few native groundcovers that works in southern districts. The wet tropics are too humid for it.

Soil. Sharp drainage is the one requirement. Sandy and gravelly soils suit it perfectly. On clay, plant on a raised mound with coarse sand worked through, because a wet winter is what kills these plants.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer while it establishes, then only in long dry spells. Use a low phosphorus native fertiliser once in early spring, and keep 50mm of coarse mulch between the plants until they close over.

Pruning. A light trim straight after flowering keeps the mat dense and stops the centre opening up. Avoid cutting back into bare woody stems, since it is slow to reshoot from old wood.

What to expect when it arrives

It comes as tube stock, in 140mm pots sold in packs of ten, and in 200mm pots sold in packs of six. Tubes are the value option for covering a bank, since you need a lot of them. The 140mm and 200mm plants are already spreading and close the gaps a season sooner.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Expect a quiet first month, then steady spread once the roots are away. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to choose and plant a groundcover
• Browse the full groundcover range
• Coastal and salt tolerant plants
• Plants for retaining walls and slopes

Common questions

How many plants do I need per square metre?

At the recommended 50cm spacing, about four plants per square metre. Closer planting closes the cover faster but costs more and does not improve the end result.

Can I walk on it?

No. It is a groundcover, not a lawn substitute, and regular foot traffic will break the stems. Use steppers through the planting instead.

Does it need pruning?

Only a light trim after flowering. That keeps the mat tight and encourages the next season's flowers without cutting into old wood.