Sun, soft sand, an endless horizon: an Australian summer at the beach. But many times what’s holding it all in place is a small, oddly shaped plant with an even odder name: pigface.
It rambles over the dunes from coastal Victoria to far north Queensland, putting up fat, squishy, triangular-shaped, blue-green leaves and throwing out psychedelic splashes of bright crimson or purple daisy-like flowers with yellow centres. Surprisingly, the flowers bear no resemblance to the face of a pig, unless you’re hallucinating.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Plant pigface on slopes or dunes, as its root system helps stabilise soil and prevent erosion.
- Choose it for dry, sandy, free-draining gardens — it’s drought-, salt- and wind-tolerant, and safe for kids since it has no prickles.
- The leaves, flowers and fruit are all edible, with the fruit suited to jams, chutneys and pickles.
- Use the leaf juice on burns, bites or stings for a natural, aloe-like remedy.
They’re a complex plant with an important role for not only the coastal areas of Australia, but for our gardens too. Here are 5 interesting facts about pigface we bet you didn’t know!
Why we love pigface
1. Its roots are strong
The most fascinating thing about pigface is what’s happening under the sand dunes they grow upon. The root system plays a vital role in holding the sand dunes together, helping prevent the sand from slipping into the sea. It’s similar for sloping land in our gardens; they will help keep a steep slope stable.
2. They’re durable
Tolerant to salt and wind, this prostrate, creeping succulent should be a feature of every beach cottage garden, especially where erosion can be an issue. They look fantastic in rock gardens where the soft foliage works a treat against the harsh elements of your miniature lunar landscape.
3. Suitable for dry climates
As a succulent, it copes extremely well in areas subject to extended dry periods, but, like most succulents, only wants to put its feet down in sandy, free-draining soils. Unlike many succulents, it has no spikes, scales or prickles,so it’s great for a child-friendly garden.
4. They’re edible!
Its botanical name is Carpobrotus glaucescens, which is botanical speak for edible fruit, but the flowers and juicy leaves are also edible. Salty, but tasty. It flowers in spring and summer, then produces deep-red fruit that can be made into jams, chutneys and pickles.
5. It’s healing
The juice from the leaves can also be used to help relieve skin burns, bites and stings, in much the same way as another succulent, aloe, does.
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