Yareena Myoporum

Yareena Myoporum (Myoporum parvifolium 'Yareena') is a native groundcover that does the job of mulch and looks better doing it. Just 20cm tall but spreading to 2m wide, it lays down a dense, purple tinted green carpet that smothers weeds, binds slopes and spills cleanly over retaining walls. Small white flowers bring in bees and butterflies through the warm months.

Why you'll love it

• Real coverage, fast. Each plant spreads to about 2m, and it is a genuinely fast grower, so bare ground disappears quickly and weeds lose their light.
• Purple tinted foliage. This form carries a purple flush over the fine green leaf, which gives the carpet more depth than the plain species.
• As tough as natives come. Frost hardy, drought tolerant, salt tolerant and heat tolerant, and it grows in poor soil that defeats fussier groundcovers.
• Flowers for the pollinators. Starry white blooms feed bees and butterflies without demanding anything in return.
• Nothing to mow, little to do. Once it knits together, maintenance is an occasional trim along the edges.

Where it works best

Groundcover and mass planting. Plant 1m apart for full coverage, which works out at roughly one plant per square metre. Closer spacing closes the carpet sooner but rarely pays for itself.

Retaining walls and slopes. The trailing stems pour over wall edges and root down on banks as they go, holding soil on ground too steep to garden.

Rockeries and coastal gardens. It weaves between stone comfortably, and salt tolerance keeps it clean and dense within reach of sea air.

Growing Yareena Myoporum in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun for the densest mat and best flowering. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate, Mediterranean and arid or semi arid gardens, which covers most of the country; the wet tropics are the exception. Being frost hardy, it holds its ground through southern winters.

Soil. Any soil that drains, from sand to poor stony ground. On heavy clay, plant on a slope or mounded bed so water moves away from the stems.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer while the carpet establishes, then rainfall carries it in most districts. A light feed of native fertiliser in spring is plenty.

Pruning. Trim wherever it meets paths or garden edges, and cut back any patch that thins with age; it reshoots readily and thickens up again.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Yareena as tube stock and as 140mm pots in packs of 10, which matches how groundcover is actually planted: in quantity. Tubes are small on arrival but establish quickly and cost the least per square metre covered; the 140mm packs give you instant spread. Both travel well, and new runners appear within weeks in warm weather.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• The best trailing plants for retaining walls
• Browse the full groundcover range
• More plants for retaining walls and slopes
• Coastal and salt tolerant plants

Common questions

How many plants do I need?

At the recommended 1m spacing, allow roughly one plant per square metre of ground to cover. For a bank of 20 square metres, that is about 20 tubes, or two packs of 140mm pots.

How quickly will it cover?

It is one of the faster native groundcovers. Planted in spring at 1m spacing, plants usually knit together within a couple of warm seasons, sooner with water and a spring feed.

Will it trail over my retaining wall?

Yes, that is one of its best uses. The stems hang over the face in a dense curtain, softening the wall while the mat above suppresses weeds.

Is it safe for pets and stock?

Treat it with care. Myoporum foliage is regarded as toxic to grazing animals, so keep it away from paddocks, and we do not sell it as a pet safe plant.