Botanical name:

Acaena saccaticupula

Common name(s):

Bidibid, piripiri

About:

A creeping, evergreen perennial growing up to 10cm tall and spreading up to 1m wide. Its leaves are divided into 9-15 oval, toothed leaflets, blue-grey in colour with bronze-tinged margins. In midsummer, it produces rounded white flower heads on short stems, followed by contrasting dark red burrs adorned with pinkish-red spines.

Natural habitat:

Subalpine areas.

Growing environment:

Frost, Sun, Wind & Free draining tolerant.

Endemic distribution:

New Zealand’s South Island from Marlborough to Southland.

Height: 10cm

Flowering:

December - January with a red coloured flower/s

Fruiting:

January - March with a spiny red seed head.

Uses:

Bird food / Attractant, Bee food, Riparian plantings & ground cover

How to grow:

Easily grown from fresh seed, cuttings or division.

** Seed germinates without pre treatment. 4 weeks cold stratification will help speed this up though