The vibrant green of Herniaria perks up gray leaved plants
(like Lavenders) and offsets darker green plants (like
Hyssop,
Myrtle and
Germander). It is soft to walk on and can take quite a bit of foot traffic, as
long as it is not continual. Trailing down the side of a container, it adds
interest and color to container plantings.
Sunset Western Garden Book
rates this plant as hardy in all
Sunset Zones. We have seen it rated from USDA Zone 5, but most literature suggests
Zone 7.
Herniaria, a native of Europe, was used in the past for (I
know you guessed, already) hernias. But, not hernias like we think of them
today, but, rather hernias of the skin (like a cut). In this capacity, it was known as Rupturewort.