Top 5 Native Ground Covers

Pretty, red, brush-like flowers complement the flat mass of foliage of this ground cover.

A prostrate growth habit and starry, white flowers make this a good choice for a sunny, well-drained position. 

This ground cover from Western Australia has become popular because of its beautiful, mauveblue, fan-shaped blooms.

A hardy native climber, hardenbergia can be draped over a bank where its purple pea flowers will be easily seen. Hardenbergia comptoniana (native wisteria) does best in semi-shade.

Lots of little daisies dot these fine-leaved plants for months. There are perennial and annual forms, and flowers can be mauve, blue, white, purple or even pink.

Water plants well in the early stages. Most don't need much watering once they're established, but make sure that the area around the base of young plants remains grass-free. A layer of organic mulch over the root system will retain moisture and nutrients.

This information is from the Yates Garden Guide: fully revised & updated 44th edition, HarperCollins, $39.99. You can have this information and so much more at your fingertips by purchasing the Yates Garden Guide, available at all leading bookstores and Bunnings stores.