When done right, lawn care and landscaping are forms of gardening. We’re building the outdoor spaces we want by working with nature and our own creativity. Here at Gardzen we’re big fans of making our garden spaces environmentally-friendly and using native plants where possible. With that in mind, one of our friends alerted us to frogfruit, a plant with an intriguing name and an equally intriguing set of uses. For many of us this low-lying plant may be the groundcover of the future, offering a beautiful and ecologically sustainable alternative to conventional monoculture grass lawns. So, join us as we explore the botany, ecology, and potential uses of Phyla nodiflora. Let’s dig in!
Gardzen Executive Summary
· Frogfruit is most properly referred to as Phyla nodiflora, and is a low-lying herbaceous plant.
· Native to tropical and subtropical regions around the world, frogfruit is increasingly popular as a garden plant, particularly as landscaping groundcover.
· Frogfruit has green to purple-green toothed leaves, creeping stems that grow along the ground, and relatively tall inflorescences that produce lovely white or purple flowers.
· As a substitute for turf grasses, frogfruit has a lot to offer. Phyla nodiflora helps the soil hold water, tolerates a variety of soil conditions, and supports pollinators like butterflies.
· However, frogfruit isn’t a perfect solution for every space. It doesn’t tolerate much foot traffic and while more water-efficient than many turf grasses it may require watering in some environments.
· Frogfruit has a lot of potential and may be a great addition to many gardens when used properly!
What is Frogfruit, Exactly?
To quote our friends at the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, frogfruit “is not a grass and not a clover.” Rather, it’s a flowering plant native to tropical and subtropical regions around the world. From the family Verbenaceae, frogfruit has many informal names: lippia, kurapia, turkey tangle, capeweed. It’s also one of the many, many plants colloquially referred to as “Creeping Charlie”. We’ll be referring to it as “frogfruit” for simplicity’s sake.
Frogfruit is best described as a prostate creeping herb, meaning that it grows along the ground forming dense mats and has a soft green stem rather than a woody stem. The toothed leaves and stems are green to purple-green, and their color offers a prelude to the flowers to come. Phyla nodiflora shoot up flowering stems between 9-18 inches/ 25-45cm tall, which are topped with lovely dark-purple inflorescences that produce white or purple flowers. Frogfruit prefers damp soil but once established will tolerate changing conditions.
This robust growth pattern is what makes frogfruit such an interesting alternative to conventional turf grasses. Let’s dig a bit deeper . . .
Why Phyla nodiflora is the Perfect Groundcover (Sometimes!)
Let’s talk about lawns.
The traditional monoculture turf grass lawn became the norm over the course of the 1950s. Initially, the American-style lawn was a mix of clover and grass, with the clover providing both visual interest while also returning nitrogen to the soil. This balanced mix eventually gave way to single-type grass lawns, and that trend lasted for decades. Beginning in the 1990s, however, homeowners began to explore more interesting approaches to lawns and groundcover. Clover returned, as did other plants like creeping thyme. These proved advantageous in several ways: in addition to promoting soil health and providing a more interesting set of colors, textures, and fragrances, these plants also attract and support pollinators. Butterflies in particular benefit from these dynamic, naturalistic lawns.
Frogfruit is finally getting some attention for its potential as a ground cover for lawns and landscapes. It has a lot to offer in those roles: while it prefers moist, well drained soils—often appearing in marshy landscapes and disturbed soils—it will tolerate a range of soil types and once established it can thrive with minimal water input. The low-lying structure and dense matted growth help the soil maintain water without supplemental watering. When watered efficiently, frogfruit makes for a great, low-maintenance lawn plant.
However, like all plants frogfruit has its limitations. Phyla nodiflora grows in thick mats that are fairly resilient but it doesn’t tolerate regular foot traffic. This includes pet activity and definitely includes children playing in the yard. For lawn spaces that get a lot of foot traffic, frogfruit may not be the best choice. And just because established frogfruit helps the soil hold water doesn’t mean that it’s maintenance free; in hot or dry climates it may need additional watering albeit less so than conventional turf grasses.
So Should I Add Frogfruit to My Lawn?
Well, as always, it depends. Your garden space is your own and you get to decide what’s best for you. If you have a portion of your lawn that gets relatively little foot traffic then frogfruit is an option to consider. If you have a section of your space devoted to native plants or pollinators, then frogfruit could be the perfect addition. As with all plants in all gardens, Phyla nodiflora has its own needs and limitations and those must be considered when we’re adding it to our gardens.
As for us? We’re strongly considering planting some frogfruit in the lawn around the Gardzen Test Gardens. We’re based in southeastern North Carolina, USA, and our hot damp climate is perfect for this plant. We’ll start with one section, see how it goes, and hopefully keep you posted.
If by chance you have a patch of frogfruit growing in your garden space, let us know how it’s going and how you like it. Gardzen is all about community and we love to hear from you!
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