With Spencer Shaw – FOREST HEART Eco-Nursery
HERE on the Sunshine Coast, we have a great range of local native groundcovers, that not only look good in your garden but provide habitat for native fauna.
For example, take some of our native rainforest running grasses, the Beard Grasses Oplismenus spp and Graceful Grass Ottochloa nodosa.
They can form a dense grassy groundcover between 5-30cm deep, that can even be mown.
They also provide good forage for wallabies or pademelons (if you’re lucky enough to have them in the neighbourhood) and are host plants to the wonderfully named Wonder Brown Butterfly.
Native Violets Viola banksii and Viola betonicifolia are not only beautiful in flower, but in the case of Viola banksii a great addition to your salad.
Emu Foot Cullen tenax is another versatile native groundcover with an edible seed, and food source for the Chequered Swallowtail.
Native Plumbago Plumbago zeylanica is a stunning glossy foliaged groundcover with white to pale blue flowers and food source to the Zebra Blue Butterfly.
These are very vigorous growers in the warmer months and can create a dense groundcover to outcompete the weeds!
Bower of Beauty Vine Pandorea jasminoides can be a stunning groundcover over large areas, with its masses of pink blooms through spring and summer.
Another great local vine that can be used as a groundcover in open areas is Gum Vine Aphanopetalum resinosum, they have very glossy foliage and masses of white flowers in spring.
A dense diverse bushy groundcover layer is crucial habitat for a whole host of ground dwelling fauna for both food and hiding from predators.
Bandicoots, Potoroos, Lizards and snakes all need dense cover to survive and thrive.
“Did he just say habitat for Snakes is a good thing?” well having somewhere for snakes to hide away from you can’t be a bad thing can it?
Groundcovers protect the soil from the weather and feed the soil with the life that they generate.
Ground yourself with groundcovers they’re good for you and the planet.
