This absolutely delightful little indigenous groundcover seems to be more popular overseas than it is in its home country – shame on us! South Africans really need to appreciate our own flora a lot more, and although things have changed a lot over the last 20 years or so, when indigenous plants were very hard to find in garden centres, except for the most showy ones, and today retail outlets are stocking a lot more South African plants, due to the increase in demand for them, we still have a long way too go.

It is good to bear in mind that any retail business is driven by demand, and logically garden centres will not stock a plant that does not sell well, but, as consumers we don’t always realise how much value our buying power has, so if you want a certain indigenous plant, ask at your local garden centre for it, and if they say they don’t stock it, tell them all about it and why you specifically want that plant, and that you want it so badly you are prepared to go to an indigenous nursery to get one. They will take note, and if they start getting lots of requests for the same plant, any good plant buyer will ensure that some are ordered just to see how well they do. I am convinced that if retailers have this little charmer on display when it is in full bloom, customers will find them irresistible!

Falkia repens is often called “White Carpet”, “African Morning Glory”, “Creeping Falkia”, or Oortjies. It is an evergreen perennial groundcover that belongs to the same family as morning glories (Convolvulaceae) which most South Africans know as terribly invasive. However, you don’t have to worry about Falkia repens as it is endemic to the Eastern and Western Cape,  where it can commonly be found growing in damp or temporarily inundated soil alongside rivers and streams,  in damp coastal flats and seeps, damp grasslands, and in vleis or along their margins.

Falkia is great between pavers. Picture courtesy www.randomharvest.co.zaOortjies in Afrikaans means ‘little ears’ in reference to its small, shiny green to yellowish leaves that are generally broadly ovate and slightly succulent, with rounded tips and bases, looking rather like little ears.  The plant spreads quickly by rooting from the nodes, and can spread 30 to 46cm to form a flat mat of foliage, only about 5 to 10cm in height.

Nature is so incredible, and the way this little plant reproduces is fascinating! An abundance of delicate paper-like flowers that resemble miniature poppies appear from spring to December. They are large and trumpet-shaped, opening a pale pink and fading to white. The flowers are pollinated by moths and bees, and the fruits, are known as “schizocarps”. A schizocarp is a single dry fruit pod that, once fully mature will split into two or more separate carpels. The carpels are the female reproductive organs of a flower, consisting of an ovary, a stigma, and usually a style.

Once the flowers fade they bend over to penetrate the soil, where the fruit continues to mature beneath the surface of the ground, just like peanuts. This means of reproduction is called “geocarpy”, and is an extremely rare means of plant reproduction, in which plants that were pollinated above-ground produce diaspores within the soil. In botany, a diaspore is a plant dispersal unit consisting of a seed or spore plus any additional tissues that assist dispersal. This type of dispersal evolved as an effective means of ensuring a suitable environment for the plant's offspring.

In the Garden:

White carpet is a reliable groundcover for any location and suits all garden styles, tropical, woodland, country, cottage, or pebble and rock gardens. It is also a good candidate for roof gardens and to stabilise the soil on banks.

Because white carpet grows quickly and takes only around 1 year to reach maturity, it is great in solid stands, and works beautifully in combination plantings where it covers the ground fast to suppress weeds, and looks great all year round.

It remains low, making it an excellent choice to plant between stepping-stones, and even to replace lawn where there is little or no foot traffic. It’s just as effective flowing over rocks or walls, and most elegant cascading over pots and hanging baskets.  

The flowers attract bees, moths, and other tiny insects to the garden that are useful to feed lizards and frogs.

Falkia repens on pathway. Picture courtesy www.randomharvest.co.zaCultivation/Propagation:

Despite its delicate appearance white carpet is a hardy evergreen that and can tolerate heat, drought, and poor soil.

It will grow in both the winter and summer rainfall regions of the country, and survives frost and temperatures as low as -1°C, and in regions where the temperatures fall way below zero, it will become totally dormant in winter, re-sprouting again in spring if the roots are mulched in autumn to protect them.

It is also adaptable to a wide range of soil conditions and will grow in poor soils, but thrives in more fertile, humus-rich, and well-drained soils, so adding some compost to the planting holes will benefit the plants.

Although many gardeners grow it in semi-shade, white carpet it will also grow happily in full sun as long as it gets lots of water. In too much shade the plant will grow taller. White carpet is drought tolerant, but to look at its best in the garden it requires moderate but regular watering, and it can be planted in quite wet areas, as well as in beds that will be irrigated along with the rest of the garden.

New plantings should be watered daily for a couple of weeks and the spacing between plants should be at least 30 to 46mm, as the plants spread fast.

White carpet respond well to an annual feeding in spring with organic 2:3:2 or 3:1:5 fertilisers to encourage new, lush growth and more flowers. The plants can also be mulched annually with compost.

Falkia is propagated from rooted runners by dividing sections of the plant with its roots. This can be done at any time but is generally done when the clumps are divided every 3 to 4 years. Dividing the clumps ensures renewed vigour and strong growth.

Pruning after flowering to remove all the flower stalks to the base of the plant will keep the plant's energy focused on vigorous new leaf growth instead of seed production. Cut the plants back hard any time they start to turn brown.

Problems, Pests & Diseases:

Falkia repens is seldom attacked by pests and diseases.

Warning:

I did not find Falkia repens listed as toxic for humans or pets, but I always advise the supervision of small children in the garden and that pets are discouraged from chewing on plants.