Carpobrotus virescens aka Coastal Pigface

Carpobrotus virescens is a succulent subshrub in the Aizoaceae family. Its common name is coastal pigface. It comes from southern and southwestern Western Australia. Kew places it in the subtropical biome. The RHS lists Carpobrotus abbreviatus as a synonym. It is not native to Britain or Ireland. Its native setting includes coastal dunes and limestone cliffs. There, it grows on white, grey, or brown sand.

This perennial has a low, spreading form. Plants For A Future gives a height of about 1.6 feet [0.5 metres]. Its listed spread reaches about 6.6 feet [2 metres]. These dimensions describe a plant much wider than it stands tall. Allow room for that width when placing it in beds. Kew describes its growth form as a succulent subshrub. The supplied sources give no further details about its stems. They also lack descriptions of its leaves or bark.

The flowers have both male and female organs. This describes their structure, but does not establish how pollination occurs. The evidence gives no flower colour or flowering season. It also provides no account of the fruit. Those gaps limit what can be said about seasonal interest. The supplied records do not name pollinators or wildlife uses. They give no basis for choosing it for those roles.

Plants For A Future lists sun and partial shade as suitable. It accepts sandy, loamy, and clay soils with good drainage. Its stated pH range runs from mildly acid to mildly alkaline. It can grow in dry or moist soil and withstand drought. That makes drainage distinct from its tolerance of soil texture. The same source places it in USDA zones 8–11. It also gives UK zone 9, not an RHS H-rating. Cultivated beds are the garden setting named in the evidence.

Plants For A Future records no known edible uses. It likewise lists no medicinal uses or other practical uses. These entries describe the source's knowledge, rather than proving universal absence. It records no known hazards, but gives no pet-specific safety assessment. Its weed entry does not flag the species as weedy. The supplied evidence names no pests or diseases. It therefore supports no specific claims about resistance or treatment.