Botanical name:

Leptinella pusilla

Common name(s):

About:

A mat-forming plant characterised by its delicate, fern-like foliage, which showcases a striking colour range from purplish grey to rich bronze. This attractive vegetation not only adds beauty to garden spaces but also serves as an excellent ground cover.

Natural habitat:

Coastal to subalpine (0-1200m) but more frequent at lower altitudes. Usually found in open sites on gravel, sand or in sparsely vegetated tussock grassland, or in the shade of rock outcrops.

Growing environment:

Frost, Sun, Shade, Salt, Coastal & free draining tolerant.

Endemic distribution:

New Zealand’s North and South Islands. In the north known from near Dannevirke (historic) south to Cape Palliser and the south Wellington coast. In the South Island easterly from the Richmond Range (Marlborough) south to the Foveaux Strait.

Height: 10cm

Flowering: 

August - November with a green – yellow coloured flower/s 

Fruiting:
October - January (-March)

Uses:

Bird food / Attractant, Bee food & Ground cover

How to grow:

Easily grown and so fairly common in cultivation. However, most cultivated material is of one sex-type so seed is rarely produced. An excellent ground cover for sunny, dry sites on free draining soils. Once established this species is remarkably drought tolerant.