Pigface

Yellow Pigface (Mesembryanthemum sp.) is a low succulent groundcover that turns a hot, dry, useless patch of ground into a sheet of gold. It sits under 20cm tall and spreads to about a metre, and through the warm months it opens masses of bright yellow daisy like flowers whenever the sun is on it. Sand, salt, heat and drought are all part of the deal.

Why you'll love it

• Yellow reads from a distance. Brighter and more visible across a garden than the pink forms, which suits a bank or a long verge.
• It asks for nothing. Drought, heat, salt spray and poor sandy soil are all handled once the plant is established.
• Quick to cover ground. Fast growing and spreading to a metre each, so a bed fills in a season rather than three.
• It anchors loose soil. The matted surface roots knit across banks and slow erosion.
• Safe around pets. Not toxic to cats or dogs, which matters for something planted at ground level.

Where it works best

Rockeries and hot slopes. Tucked between rocks or spilling down a slope it looks at home, and a rockery gives the sharp drainage it wants.

Groundcover and mass planting. Plant 50cm apart for quick groundcover. That works out to about four plants per square metre, and a bed closes over in one warm season.

Coastal gardens and retaining walls. Salt tolerant enough for exposed seaside beds. Along the top of a wall, set plants 50cm back from the edge and let the growth trail over the face.

Growing yellow pigface in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, all day. The flowers only open in direct light, so a shaded position gives you leggy growth and no display. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, Mediterranean and arid or semi-arid gardens. It takes light frost only, which rules out the tablelands and cold inland districts.

Soil. Free draining, and the poorer the better. Sand and gravel suit it. On clay, build the bed up and mix through coarse sand, because standing water rots the stems quickly.

Water and feed. Water weekly for the first six weeks, then leave it to the weather except in a long dry spell. Skip the fertiliser: rich ground produces soft leafy growth and fewer flowers.

Pruning. Cut back any section that grows woody or lifts away from the soil, ideally after flowering. Broken pieces pushed into damp soil strike readily, so patching bare spots costs nothing.

What to expect when it arrives

We grow this one in two sizes: tube stock and 140mm pots in packs of ten. Tubes are the economical way to cover a large area; the 140mm plants get you to full cover a few months sooner. Both arrive as rooted rosettes with fleshy trailing stems.

Succulents are among the best travellers we send, since the leaves carry their own water. Plant at 50cm centres, water in, and expect plants to touch within a season in warm weather. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Read our guide to choosing groundcover plants.
• Browse more rockery plants.
• Compare options in our coastal and salt tolerant range.
• Mix it with the pink flowering pigface for a two tone mat.

Common questions

Is this the same as Australian native pigface?

No. Pigface is a trade name covering several succulent genera. This is the South African ice plant group rather than the native Carpobrotus, though the two look similar and grow much the same way.

How many plants per square metre?

About four, at 50cm spacing. You can stretch to 70cm if you are covering a large area and can wait an extra season.

Is it safe for pets?

Yes. It is not toxic to cats or dogs, so it suits a yard where animals dig and lie about.

Why is it not flowering?

Almost always too little sun, or too much water and feed. Move it into full sun and stop fertilising.