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Gratiola peruviana

austral brooklime

Plantaginaceae Australasia and South America

Attracts Pollinators Container Friendly

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterHigh

HardinessZones 8–10

Overview

Gratiola peruviana is a low, spreading perennial herb of wet ground, with soft, somewhat fleshy stems that creep and root at the nodes, forming mats 4-12 inches (10-30 cm) high and spreading 12-24 inches (30-60 cm) or more across. The opposite leaves are oval to oblong, 0.4-1.2 inches (1-3 cm) long, with toothed margins and a soft texture. Small tubular flowers about 0.3 inch (6-9 mm) long sit singly in the leaf axils, white to pale pink with thin veining, opening through spring and summer. Native to Australia, New Zealand, and South America, it grows along stream banks, marsh edges, ditches, and other consistently damp or shallow-water sites in full sun to part shade. It needs reliable moisture and spreads quickly in suitable wet ground, rooting as it goes, but declines and dies back where soil dries out. The creeping habit makes it a soft groundcover at water margins, though the same vigor lets it crowd small neighbors in confined plantings. Growth is fastest in warm weather, and stems may die back over cold winters before regrowing in spring.

Native Range

Native to Australia, New Zealand, and South America, growing along stream banks, marsh margins, ditches, and other permanently or seasonally wet ground. It is widespread in temperate freshwater wetlands.

Suggested Uses

Used at pond and stream margins, in bog gardens, and in wetland and rain-garden plantings as a low spreading cover. Suited to consistently wet sites, planted 10-16 inches (25-40 cm) apart and contained where space is limited.

How to Identify

Identified by soft, creeping, fleshy stems that root at the nodes and opposite toothed leaves 0.4-1.2 inches (1-3 cm) long. Small white to pale pink tubular flowers about 0.3 inch (6-9 mm) long sit singly in the leaf axils. Its mat-forming wetland habit and axillary flowers separate it from upright streamside herbs.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height4" - 1'

Width/Spread1' - 2'

Reaches mature size in approximately 1 years

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~12 weeks

Spring Summer

Small tubular flowers open through spring and summer, roughly October to February, held singly in the leaf axils. The white to pale pink flowers are lightly veined and modest in size, scattered along the creeping stems. Flowering continues over a long warm-season period where moisture is reliable.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

White to pale pink

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 Range5.5 - 7.5(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam clay silt

Drainagewet

Water & Climate

Water Needs

High

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

Establishes within the first season

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grows in full sun to part shade on wet, mucky, or saturated soils, including pond and stream margins and shallow standing water. Constant moisture is needed, and the plant declines quickly if the ground dries out. It tolerates rich, mucky wetland soils and needs no extra feeding. In ponds and bog gardens it grows as a spreading marginal that knits along the waterline. It is moderately frost-tolerant, dying back in cold winters and regrowing from the base in spring. Spread is rapid in warm, wet conditions and may need containing in small water features.

Pruning

A trim through the growing season keeps the spreading stems in bounds and removes tired or yellowed growth. No structural pruning is needed. Cutting back hard in late winter clears old stems before spring regrowth.