Pink Thrift

Pink Thrift (Armeria maritima 'Rosea') is the tidy evergreen cushion that makes a hot, windy, sandy edge look deliberate. The grassy mound sits at about 15cm, and rounded pink pompom flowers lift it to roughly 30cm tall and 30cm across. It comes from the sea cliffs of Europe, so salt, wind and thin poor soil are normal conditions rather than a hardship.

Why you'll love it

• Small, neat and predictable. At 30cm by 30cm it stays where you put it, which is more than most flowering groundcovers manage.
• Genuinely coastal. Salt tolerant, wind tolerant and content in poor soil, so exposed front gardens and beach houses suit it.
• Flowers you read from a distance. Clear pink pompoms sit on bare stems above the foliage, through spring and into summer.
• Frost hardy and drought tolerant. Cold southern winters and long dry spells stop mattering once the roots are down.
• Bees and butterflies work it. Busy flowers earn it a place in a pollinator bed, not just along an edge.

Where it works best

Borders and edging. Plant 25cm apart for a continuous drift along a path or bed. Ten plants at that spacing run out to roughly 2.5 metres of finished edge.

Rockeries and gravel gardens. Sharp drainage and reflected heat are exactly what it wants, and the tight mound suits planting between stones.

Coastal gardens, groundcover and pots. Use it as low cover on a dry bank or a foreshore block at the same 25cm centres, or plant three in a shallow trough.

Growing Pink Thrift in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, all day if possible. This is a plant for cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean gardens, and it is properly frost hardy. Be honest about humidity: through a muggy subtropical or tropical summer the crown tends to rot, so in those areas use a raised pot of gritty mix instead of a garden bed.

Soil. Drainage matters far more than fertility. Sandy and gravelly soils are ideal and poor soil is tolerated. On clay, plant on a raised mound with coarse sand worked through, and keep mulch thin and clear of the crown.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer, then only in long dry spells. Rich feeding produces soft floppy growth, so one light application of a general fertiliser in early spring is plenty.

Pruning. Shear the spent flower stems off at the base once flowering finishes. Every few years the centre of an old cushion goes bare, and lifting and splitting the clump in autumn fixes it.

What to expect when it arrives

Pink Thrift is sold as tube stock and as a 140mm pack of ten. Tubes are small, a young rosette a few centimetres across, and the sensible choice for a long edge if you can wait a season. The 140mm plants are established and go straight into their final spacing.

Small plants travel well, and some flattening of the foliage in the box is normal. Expect roots to move within four to six weeks and a full cushion by the end of the first season. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Choosing edging plants for a crisp border
• Browse the rockery plant range
• Compare coastal and salt tolerant plants
• See other low groundcovers

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it?

Space plants 25cm apart for a solid edge or drift. Wider than that and the gaps stay visible for a couple of seasons, because each plant only spreads to about 30cm.

Will it cope with a humid summer?

Not reliably. It is built for cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean gardens, and long humid warmth encourages crown rot. In subtropical gardens, use a raised pot of gritty mix where air moves around the base.

Does it stay green all year?

Yes. The mound is evergreen and only the flower stems come and go, so it holds an edge through winter.