Magic carpet plant, a nonhardy creeping plant, makes a lovely ground cover for sun or shade. It deserves to be more extensively grown for the carpet it creates over rolling terrain. A member of the buckwheat household, it comes from the Himalaya mountains of Asia. This charmer creeps throughout the bottom and seldom reaches greater than 3 inches in height, but each plant can attain up to 2 ft in diameter from its lengthy trailing stems. Each vibrant green leaf is marked with a V-shaped purple band. The flowers, lifted above the foliage on short stems, are round, fluffy balls of pink, up to 11/2 inch in diameter. Elsewhere, it is good for masking large quantities of floor rapidly. Grow it in either sun or partial shade in average or richer soil that’s effectively drained. Space plants 8 to 10 inches apart for summer protection. Plant outdoors as quickly as all danger of frost has handed. Pinch the guidelines of small plants to induce branching. For good-sized plants that will develop shortly to cover the bottom, begin indoors eight to 10 weeks prior to planting in the garden. Seed germination takes 15 to 25 days at 65 to 75 levels Fahrenheit. Plant it in small pockets for its small, cloverlike blossoms. Use it like any ground cover — underplanted near bushes and shrubs — for offering a carpet of green. Plant it beside walks and pathways or next to ponds or streams. Its trailing stems are especially attractive creeping over rocks or partitions. It is also a great trailing plant to use in flowering containers. Plant near the edges so the small stems will cover the utmost outdoors floor of the container. It’s a charming indoor plant in hanging baskets. Give it medium-to-nigh light and pinch the tips to make it bushy.
