Polymeria spp.

Australian bindweed

Convolvulaceae Australia and the western Pacific

Attracts Pollinators Drought Tolerant Container Friendly

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

HardinessZones 9–11

Overview

Polymeria spp. 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 spp. 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 spp. 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

Recognize Polymeria spp. by its trailing, non-climbing stems and solitary funnel-shaped flowers seated in the leaf axils, in pink, mauve, or white. The narrow alternate leaves and slow, rhizome-based spread separate it from the white-flowered, fast-twining field bindweeds (Convolvulus spp.). A small rounded capsule follows each flower.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height4" - 10"

Width/Spread1' - 3'4"

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~16 weeks

Spring Summer

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 white

Foliage Description

green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

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

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.5 - 7.5(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

sand loam

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

1-2 years to spread

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Polymeria spp. 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

fall