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Polymeria spp.
Australian bindweed
Overview
Polymeria is a genus of trailing and creeping perennial herbs in the bindweed family (Convolvulaceae), centred on Australia with a few species in tropical Asia and the Pacific. Plants grow from slender, spreading rhizomes and send out prostrate or weakly twining stems 12-40 in (30-100 cm) long that form low, open mats rather than climbing high. The leaves are narrow to oblong, alternate, and often slightly hairy. From spring through summer the stems carry solitary funnel-shaped flowers in the leaf axils, 1-3 cm (0.5-1 in) across, in pink, mauve, or white with a paler or darker throat. The fruit is a small rounded capsule. Unlike the aggressive field bindweeds, Polymeria species are mostly modest growers of grassland, open woodland, and seasonally dry ground, spreading slowly underground. One limitation is that the individual flowers are short-lived, each lasting about a day, and another is the tendency to die back to the rootstock in drought or cold.
Native Range
Polymeria is native mainly to Australia, where it occurs across the eastern and northern states, with additional species in New Guinea, parts of tropical Asia, and the Pacific. Plants grow in grassland, open eucalypt woodland, and seasonally dry, sometimes disturbed, ground.Suggested Uses
Grown as a low ground cover in native, dry-climate, and coastal gardens, along bank edges, and in containers and hanging baskets where the trailing stems can spill. The flowers attract small native bees. Plants also bind light soils in informal plantings.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height4" - 10"
Width/Spread1' - 3'4"
Bloom Information
Flowering runs from spring into summer, broadly September to March in the native range, and follows rain in drier districts. Each funnel-shaped flower opens for about a day, but a succession of buds keeps colour on the plant over several weeks. Flowering eases as the soil dries in late summer.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
pink, mauve, or whiteFoliage Description
greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 5-10 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
Polymeria grows in full sun to light shade on light, well-drained sandy or loamy soils at a pH of about 5.5 to 7.5. Plants tolerate seasonal dryness once established and need only occasional watering through prolonged drought. Spread is by underground rhizomes, so a defined bed or container limits unwanted wandering. The genus suits warm temperate to subtropical climates and tolerates only light frost, dying back to the rootstock where winters are cold. Lean soils keep growth compact, while rich, moist ground produces lush but floppy stems. Little feeding is required.Pruning
Pruning is limited to tidying. Trailing stems are cut back after flowering or when they spread beyond their space, and frost- or drought-killed growth is cleared as the plant dies down. Plants reshoot from the rhizome in the next warm, moist season.Pruning Schedule
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
fall
Container Growing
Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 2 gallons