Myoporum

Name: Myoporum
Brand: Outdoor Dream Builders

Myoporum parvifolium

A fast-growing fragrant Australian groundcover that attracts butterflies but can be a skin irritant.

Hardy in USDA zones 9-11 and evergreen in mild low-desert winters, it tolerates light frost to the mid-20s°F but can burn in harder freezes, resprouting when heat returns.

AMWUA Notes

Skin irritant — wear gloves when handling.

Care Guide

💧Watering

Water every 7-10 days in summer to sustain its fast dense growth; it is thirstier than native groundcovers and thins out if allowed to dry hard, but drainage must still be good.

✂️Pruning

Shear the mat lightly to direct spread and remove any dieback; it fills bare spots quickly by rooting where stems touch soil.

🌱Fertilizing

Feed once in spring with a balanced fertilizer; generally low-input otherwise.

🛡️Pests

Prone to thrips and to branch dieback where drainage is poor; wear gloves as the foliage can irritate skin.

☀️Seasonal Notes

Small white flowers dot the mat in spring; evergreen in mild winters but can suffer foliage burn in hard frost, recovering with warmth.

Soil, Feeding & Propagation

🪨Soil

Prefers well-drained sandy or loamy soils; tolerates poor and rocky ground but suffers branch dieback in heavy or poorly drained soil.

💧Drainage

Needs well-drained soil.

🌱Nutrient Needs

Low feeder.

🌰Propagation

Semi-hardwood cuttings; roots freely where prostrate stems contact soil (self-layering).

📐Spacing

3-4 ft on center for fast dense cover

🌳Roots & Placement

Stems root as they spread and knit slopes; keep sheared back from turf and walks, though the roots are not structurally invasive.

Placement Tips

•Space 3-4 ft apart for very fast, dense mat coverage on slopes and large beds.
•Good erosion control where its stems root along the ground and knit the surface.
•Keep sheared away from turf and walks since it spreads quickly and roots as it goes.
•Plant in full sun; provide reliable summer moisture in reflected-heat locations.