Aizoon pubescens
Coastal Galenia
Overview
Aizoon pubescens is a low, spreading perennial herb or subshrub in the family Aizoaceae, forming dense mats 2-12 inches (5-30 cm) tall and 1-3 feet (30-90 cm) across. Stems are many-branched, trailing, and covered with short greyish hairs that give the plant a silvery-green look. Leaves are narrow and fleshy, 0.4-1.2 inches (10-30 mm) long, grey-green, and crowded along the stems. Small yellowish-green flowers about 0.1-0.2 inch (3-5 mm) across sit in the leaf axils without petals, the colour coming from the sepals. Flowering occurs over a long period from spring through autumn. Flowers produce small dry capsules holding many tiny seeds. Growth is fast, and a single plant can spread more than 3 feet (90 cm) in a season, smothering low vegetation. The species is naturalised well beyond its native range and behaves as an environmental weed in several regions.
Native Range
Native to southern Africa, particularly South Africa. Widely naturalised in southern Australia, where it grows on coastal dunes, roadsides, pastures, and disturbed ground on a range of soils including saline and sandy sites. It is listed as an environmental and agricultural weed in parts of Victoria, South Australia, and New South Wales.Suggested Uses
Rarely planted by choice, it has been used in the past as a quick groundcover for binding coastal sand and saline soils. Because it spreads aggressively and is classed as a weed in several regions, its deliberate use in gardens is limited. It persists mainly as a naturalised plant on disturbed and coastal land.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height2" - 1'
Width/Spread1' - 3'
Reaches mature size in approximately 1 years
Bloom Information
Flowers over an extended season from spring through autumn, mainly September to April in southern Australia. Bloom is more or less continuous in warm, moist conditions. The small flowers are easily overlooked among the foliage. Seed is set throughout the flowering period, supporting rapid spread.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
grey-greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Grows in full sun on well-drained sandy, saline, or disturbed soils, tolerating salt spray, heat, and drought once established. It needs little or no watering and survives on rainfall alone in dry climates. The plant spreads quickly by seed and by stems that root at the nodes, forming dense mats that crowd out other low plants. It regrows readily after cutting or grazing. In cultivation it can escape into surrounding land, and its weed status restricts planting in several Australian regions.Pruning
Cut or mow stems to limit spread and seed production. Removed stem fragments can root if left on moist soil, so they are gathered and disposed of rather than left in place. Cutting before flowering reduces seed set. Repeated removal is needed because plants reshoot from the crown and rooted nodes.Pruning Schedule
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
winter