Myoporum
parvifolium: is known as the Creeping Boobialla. We plant more of this
species, at Yallaroo, than of any other native plant. Myoporum parvifolium
develops into a dense, weed suppressing ground cover. Individual plants will
cover an area in excess of one square metre. The species comes in a range of
leaf shapes and colours. The image shows some of these forms that are growing
in our gardens. Flowering occurs from winter to summer. The flowers are
usually white but there is also a pink flowered form that is reputed to come
from Flinders Island off the coast of South Australia. The flowers are
followed by fleshy fruits containing one hard seed. The fruits are quite sweet
and, at Yallaroo, are eaten by Crimson Rosellas, Skink Lizards and sometimes
by the human residents.
Creeping Boobialla is one of the easiest natives to strike from cuttings. As
we plant out garden beds a piece is placed in the hole with some of the
plants. Each piece is about 15 cm (6 in) long with the leaves removed from the
bottom half. We use all our leaf forms in this exercise. At least 60% of these
cuttings strike and go on to form thick carpets.
We have never seen Myoporum parvifolium in the wild. All our forms have
been collected from gardens. The species occurs in NSW, Victoria and South
Australia. The Flora of NSW records that Creeping Boobialla is not common.
This would explain why we have not observed it in the wild.
Myoporum parvifolium is the most efficient ground
covers we have ever grown. As you may have gathered, propagation is easy from
cuttings.