Common names: Lippia, Carpetweed, Fog fruit, No mow grass, Phyla
While researching ground covers for our de-lawned verge, I googled 'Lippia' as I know it to form a hardy, dense lawn-like mat. All true and very pretty. Unfortunately, this South American plant, which used to be recommended for bank stabilization, has taken over huge sections of the Murray-Darling river system and chokes out even tree saplings. It spreads by seed and fragments, secreting toxic substances, that lead to the degradation of soil and water and displacement of native plant species.
It is a perennial, broadleaf herb, with grey-green leaves 10 to 20 mm long. You've no doubt seen it in a few gardens as in recent times its gaining in popularity. Each tiny leaf has 2 or 3 serrations on each side. Lippia produces numerous small, round, white or lilac flowers. The plant has a taproot up to 2 metres deep. In river or creek bank situations these large taproots act like wedges and will actually cause large sections of the bank to break away and fall into the waterway.It has been marketed as a low maintenance “no-mow” turf, and is now found in many household lawn situations. It out-competes all native vegetation including tree seedlings.
I’m not taking the risk so will solarise the seedlings we have and inform the nursery which sold it. Any suggestions for another hardy, dense lawn-like mat?
Sources: North West Weeds, University of Arizona
