Pigface

Pigface (Mesembryanthemum species) is the succulent groundcover to reach for when a bank, a rockery or a hot coastal verge has beaten everything else. It stays under 20cm tall and spreads to about a metre, laying down a dense mat of fleshy leaves that holds soil in place. Through the warmer months it covers itself in daisy like flowers in pink and magenta, and it does all of this on almost no water.

Why you'll love it

• It thrives where nothing else will. Drought, heat, salt and poor sandy soil are all handled, so the difficult strip beside a driveway is exactly its territory.
• Fast cover from small plants. Each plant spreads to about a metre, so a mat closes quicker than the small plant size suggests.
• Months of flower. Vivid pink to magenta blooms open with the sun through spring and summer, and bees work them hard.
• It holds a slope together. The shallow, matted roots knit across loose soil and reduce washing on banks and retaining walls.
• Safe around pets. Not toxic to cats or dogs, which matters for a plant grown at ground level.

Where it works best

Groundcover and mass planting. Plant 50cm apart for quick groundcover. At that spacing a bed closes over in a single warm season, and weeds lose the bare ground they need.

Coastal gardens. Salt tolerant and happy in sand, so it suits front dunes, foreshore verges and any exposed seaside bed.

Rockeries, banks and retaining walls. Set plants 50cm apart along the top of a wall and let the growth spill over the face. On a slope it stabilises the surface and still looks deliberate.

Growing pigface in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, all day. Flowers only open properly in direct light, and shade makes the growth leggy. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, Mediterranean and arid or semi-arid gardens. It takes light frost only, so cold inland districts and hard frosting southern gardens will damage it.

Soil. Sharp drainage is the one real requirement. Sandy, gravelly and poor soils are ideal. On clay, raise the bed and mix through coarse sand or gravel, because sitting water rots the stems faster than any pest.

Water and feed. Water weekly for the first six weeks to establish, then leave it alone except in extended dry spells. Feeding is rarely needed, and rich soil gives leaf at the expense of flower.

Pruning. Trim back any patch that lifts or grows woody in the centre, usually after flowering. Pieces pulled off and pushed into damp soil root readily, so gaps are easy to patch.

What to expect when it arrives

We grow this pigface in one size, tube stock. Plants arrive small, a rooted rosette with a few fleshy stems, and that is the right way to buy a groundcover you need in quantity. Succulents travel well because the leaves carry their own water.

Plant tubes at 50cm centres and expect them 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

• Browse the wider groundcover range.
• Read our picks for coastal gardens.
• See more plants for retaining walls and slopes.
• Compare it with the rest of our succulent collection.

Common questions

How many plants do I need?

At 50cm spacing you need roughly four plants per square metre. Stretch it to 70cm if you are willing to wait an extra season for full cover.

Is it safe for pets?

Yes. Pigface is not toxic to cats or dogs, so it is a sound choice for a yard where animals dig and lie about.

Will it survive frost?

Light frost only. A few degrees below zero marks the leaves but the plant recovers; repeated hard frosts will kill it, so it is not one for the tablelands or cold inland gardens.

Does it need much water once established?

Very little. After the first six weeks, natural rain is usually enough outside a long drought, and overwatering does more harm than going dry.