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Bossiaea prostrata

creeping bossiaea

Fabaceae South-eastern Australia

Attracts Pollinators Drought Tolerant Container Friendly

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 8–10

Overview

Bossiaea prostrata is a prostrate, mat-forming shrub in the pea family, spreading 12-40 inches (30-100 cm) wide while rising only 2-6 inches (5-15 cm) above the ground. Stems are wiry and trailing, often flattened, rooting where they touch moist soil. Leaves are small, alternate, oval to heart-shaped, 0.1-0.4 inch (3-10 mm) long, dull green, and spaced along the stems. Pea-shaped flowers appear in spring, 0.3-0.5 inch (8-12 mm) long, with yellow standard petals marked with red-brown and a darker keel, borne singly in the leaf axils. The fruit is a flat pea pod 0.4-0.8 inch (10-20 mm) long that dries and splits to release seed. The plant forms a low, open groundcover on well-drained soils in woodland and heath. Like other legumes it fixes nitrogen through root nodules. Growth is slow to moderate, and the prostrate stems knit into a loose mat over two to three seasons.

Native Range

Bossiaea prostrata is native to south-eastern Australia, from southern Queensland through New South Wales and Victoria to South Australia and Tasmania. It grows in dry sclerophyll forest, woodland, and grassland on well-drained sandy, loamy, and gravelly soils, from lowlands to the tablelands.

Suggested Uses

Bossiaea prostrata is grown as a low groundcover in native and low-water gardens, over rocks, and on dry banks, spaced 16-28 inches (40-70 cm) apart. It suits woodland-style and revegetation plantings on free-draining soils. The low mat tolerates light foot traffic at the edges of paths.

How to Identify

Recognised by prostrate, often flattened wiry stems bearing small oval to heart-shaped leaves 0.1-0.4 inch (3-10 mm) long and yellow-and-red pea flowers 0.3-0.5 inch (8-12 mm) long in the leaf axils. Flat pea pods follow the flowers. Distinguished from upright Bossiaea spp. species by its ground-hugging habit and from creeping Hardenbergia spp. by its single axillary flowers rather than sprays.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height2" - 6"

Width/Spread1' - 3'4"

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~6 weeks

Spring

Pea flowers open in spring (September to November), with scattered flowers at other times in mild districts. Each flower lasts about a week, and the main display extends 4-6 weeks. Cool or cloudy weather slows the opening of buds.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 5-9 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

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.0 - 6.5(Acidic)

357912

Soil Types

sand loam rocky

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

2-3 years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Bossiaea prostrata grows in full sun to light shade in well-drained sandy or gravelly soil of low to moderate fertility. Established plants tolerate dry periods and light frost, while waterlogged soil causes root rot. As a legume it fixes its own nitrogen and grows without added fertiliser, and phosphorus-rich feeds can harm it. Light watering through the first summer supports establishment, after which it needs water only in extended drought. Plants live about 6-10 years and are renewed from seed, which germinates more reliably after heat or smoke treatment. Few pests affect it.

Pruning

Light trimming of the stem tips after flowering keeps the mat dense and removes spent growth. The plant tolerates shaping but recovers slowly from cuts into old leafless stems. No heavy pruning is required.