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perennial

Rupturewort

Herniaria glabra

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Rupturewort (Herniaria glabra) at Parkway Gardens

Rupturewort foliage

Rupturewort foliage

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Rupturewort (Herniaria glabra) at Parkway Gardens

Rupturewort foliage

Rupturewort foliage

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Height:  2 inches

Spacing:  6 inches

Sunlight:  full sun  partial shade 

Hardiness Zone:  7

Other Names:  Green Carpet

Description:

This ground hugging perennial presents a carpet of tiny green leaves with pale yellow-green overtones; tolerates some foot traffic; an excellent base for containers, groundcover, or rock garden accent; use between flagstones

Ornamental Features

Rupturewort's attractive tiny leaves emerge light green in spring, turning dark green in colour with hints of chartreuse on a plant with a spreading habit of growth. As an added bonus, the foliage turns a gorgeous coppery-bronze in the fall. The brick red stems can be quite attractive.

Landscape Attributes

Rupturewort is a dense herbaceous evergreen perennial with a ground-hugging habit of growth. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and may require the occasional pruning to look its best. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Rupturewort is recommended for the following landscape applications;

  • Mass Planting
  • Rock/Alpine Gardens
  • Border Edging
  • General Garden Use
  • Groundcover
  • Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Rupturewort will grow to be only 2 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 6 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 6 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is native to parts of North America. It can be propagated by division.

Rupturewort is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its spreading habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden. Be aware that in our climate, this plant may be too tender to survive the winter if left outdoors in a container. Contact our experts for more information on how to protect it over the winter months.

 
 
Hardiness Zone Plant Height Minimum Sunlight
Characteristics
Massing  Rock  Edging  Garden  Groundcover  Container 
Applications
Foliage Color  Fall Color  Texture  Bark 
Ornamental Features

Section