Lobelia pedunculata

Perennial of the Campanulaceae family (subfamily Lobelioideae), Pratia pedunculata is native to Australia, where it occupies wet meadows, riverbanks, and areas of fresh lawns. It is sometimes now classified in the genus Lobelia under the name Lobelia pedunculata.

It forms a creeping and dense mat, 3 to 5 cm in height, spreading by stolons that root at the nodes. The leaves are small, oval to rounded, crenate, bright and shiny green, closely arranged along the stems, giving the plant a very full appearance even when not in bloom.

The flowers, borne individually on slender upright peduncles, are pale blue to blue-lilac, with five narrow petals arranged in a star shape, with a small yellow-green center. The flowering is remarkably generous, almost completely masking the foliage. In its natural habitat, flowering extends from spring to summer. In cultivation under temperate climates, it blooms from May to July.

It prefers fresh, well-drained but not drying soil, in sunny to semi-shaded exposure. It is suitable for the interstices of paving in cool situations, low borders, and moist rock gardens. Its hardiness is adequate under temperate oceanic climates, but it deserves slight protection in case of prolonged frost.