Purple Creeping Boobialla

Purple Creeping Boobialla (Myoporum parvifolium 'Purpurea') is a flat Australian native groundcover that runs to about 2m across and barely 150mm high. The fine foliage carries a purple tint through the cooler months and small white flowers cover it in the warm ones. It roots as it spreads, which makes it one of the better plants for holding a bank or filling a hot, dry bed where lawn refuses to go.

Why you'll love it

• It covers ground quickly. Fast growing to about 2m across from a single plant, so a bed that looks sparse in autumn is usually closed over by the following summer.
• It holds a slope together. Stems root down as they run, knitting the surface of a batter and taking the sting out of erosion.
• Genuinely tough. Drought tolerant, heat tolerant, frost hardy, happy in poor soil and unbothered by salt laden coastal wind.
• White flowers for the bees. A long warm season display, and one trim a year is the entire maintenance calendar.

Where it works best

Groundcover and mass planting. Plant 1m apart for quick cover. At that spacing the plants meet within a season in warm weather, and closer planting mostly wastes stock rather than speeding anything up.

Retaining walls and slopes. Set plants 1m apart in a staggered grid across the face of a bank so the rooting stems bind the whole surface rather than a few lines of it.

Rockeries and coastal gardens. It spills over rock and edging without going woody and bare in the middle, and salt spray does not burn it.

Growing Purple Creeping Boobialla in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, always. Shade thins it out and costs you both the flowers and the foliage colour. It performs across subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate, Mediterranean and arid gardens, and it is frost hardy. Constant tropical humidity is the one climate it does not enjoy.

Soil. Poor soil is fine. Wet soil is not. Sand, gravel and lean clay all work provided water moves through, and on heavy ground it is worth raising the bed 100mm to 150mm before planting.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer only, then leave it alone. Established plants live on rainfall in most districts, and heavy feeding produces soft growth that flops.

Pruning. Shear the whole planting back by about a third in early spring. This keeps the centre dense rather than woody, and it is the difference between a cover that lasts ten years and one that opens up after three.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in three sizes. Tube stock is the sensible choice for a large area, arriving as a small rooted plant that establishes fast and costs least per square metre. The 140mm plants come as a pack of ten and the 200mm plants as a pack of six, both quicker to close a bed.

Groundcovers travel flat and arrive looking modest, which is normal. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Expect visible running growth within a month of planting in warm weather, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• A guide to choosing groundcover plants
• Browse the full groundcover range
• Plants suited to retaining walls and slopes
• Compare rockery plants for hot, dry beds

Common questions

How many plants do I need per square metre?

At 1m spacing you need one plant per square metre, which gives full cover in a season or so in warm weather. Tighten to 750mm if you want the bed closed faster.

Is it safe around pets and livestock?

Myoporum foliage is toxic to grazing animals, so it should not be planted where sheep, cattle, goats or horses can reach it. We do not list it as pet friendly, and there are better choices for a yard where a dog chews plants.

Can I walk on it?

Only lightly. It will take the occasional step while you weed or prune, but it is not a lawn substitute and will not recover from regular foot traffic.