Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Myoporum
Myoporum is a fast, low ground cover that forms a bright green carpet about a foot tall and many feet wide. Small white flowers dot it in spring. It covers slopes and open areas quickly, and it grows in full sun or part sun. It needs regular water in the desert and soil that drains well.
Best for: fast green cover on slopes and open areas, a low lawn alternative that is not walked on, and bright green contrast.
It covers slopes quickly with a low, bright green carpet and helps hold soil.
One plant can spread 6 to 15 feet across while staying about a foot tall.
Small white flowers cover it briefly in spring, and bees visit them.
It is not a low-water plant in the desert, yet too much water kills it. It will not take foot traffic, and older plantings get woody.
- Faster ground cover6 ft apart, center to center
- Looser ground cover8 ft apart, center to center
Water new plants often while they root in. Once rooted, give regular, infrequent deep watering, and never keep it soggy.
Head it back to keep it in bounds. It grows fast where it gets water.
Old plantings build up woody stems underneath. Expect to replace part or all of it after 5 to 10 years.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
How big does myoporum get?
It stays about 1 to 1.5 feet tall and spreads 6 to 15 feet.
Is myoporum a low-water plant?
No, not in the desert. It needs regular, infrequent deep watering, but soggy soil kills it.
Can I walk on myoporum?
No. Its brittle stems break under foot traffic, so keep it off paths.
How do I keep it in bounds?
Head it back to control its spread, especially where it gets water.
How long does myoporum last?
Plantings often get woody underneath and need partial or full replacement after 5 to 10 years.
Does it flower?
Yes. Small white flowers cover it briefly in spring.
What problems does it get?
Spider mites and root rot are the main problems. Good drainage helps prevent rot.
How cold hardy is it?
It is rated to about 20 to 23°F.
Is myoporum evergreen?
Yes. It keeps its bright green leaves all year, so the cover stays green through winter.
Myoporum for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Myoporum is a fast, low ground cover that makes a bright green carpet on slopes. Below: size, water, drainage, spreading, foot traffic and lifespan.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
Myoporum ground cover in Phoenix
A fast, low, bright green carpet for slopes and open areas.
Watering myoporum
It needs regular, infrequent deep watering; too much water kills it.
Myoporum on slopes
It covers slopes quickly and helps hold soil.
Can you walk on myoporum?
No. The brittle stems break under foot traffic.
How long does myoporum live?
Plan to renew older plantings after 5 to 10 years.
Myoporum spread
One plant spreads 6 to 15 feet wide.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.