Carpobrotus Rossii
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Pigface / Native Pigface / Karkalla / Sea Fig / Ross's Noonflower
Botanical Name: Carpobrotus rossii
Family: Aizoaceae
Origin: Southern Coastal Australia
Plant Type: Succulent groundcover (prostrate, spreading)
Overview
Tough, salt-loving native with fleshy triangular leaves and large pink–purple daisy-like flowers from spring to autumn (heaviest spring–summer), followed by edible red–purple fruits. Excellent for coastal banks, rockeries and spill-over edges; binds sandy soils and copes with heat and wind.
Key Features
- Mature Size: 0.1–0.2 m H × 1–2 m W (spread)
- Growth Rate: 30-60 (spread) cm per year under good conditions
- Foliage: Fleshy grey-green, tints red/purple in cold, drought or high sun
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Flowers: Large pink–purple, yellow centres; spring–autumn
- Seasonal Interest: Long flowering window; colourful foliage tints in cooler weather
- Wildlife Value: Nectar for bees and insects; fruits for birds
- Tolerance: Drought-tolerant (once established), heat-tolerant, wind-tolerant, coastal-tolerant (front-line); light frost (protect from hard frost)
- Planting Density: 2–3 plants per m² (closer for faster cover)
- Pet Friendly: Non-toxic to cats and dogs (ingesting large amounts of foliage may cause mild tummy upset
Where It Works Best
- Sunlight: Full sun (best flowering); tolerates light shade
- Soil: Free-draining sands or sandy/loam; tolerates poor, slightly saline soils
- Water Needs: Establishment: 2 deep soaks/week for 8–12 weeks. Established: deep soak every 10–14 days in summer; monthly in winter if dry
- Maintenance: Minimal—light tip prune after flowering to thicken mats; avoid over-fertilising
- Lifespan: 10–20+ years in suitable conditions
- Climate Zones: Temperate & Mediterranean SA, especially coastal
- Soil pH: Neutral to alkaline (tolerates slightly acid)
Landscape & Design Ideas
- Coastal banks & dune stabilisation – binds sand and shrugs off salt spray
- Rockeries, retaining walls & spill-over edges for year-round colour
- Mass plant as a tough, waterwise groundcover in hot, exposed sites
Why You Will Love It
A no-fuss Aussie native that thrives by the sea, smothers weeds, puts on months of colour, and even offers edible fruit—all with minimal care.