Plant library · Annual Flowers
Sutera cordata
Bacopa is a low, trailing annual that stays about 6 inches tall while spreading to roughly 18 inches wide. Masses of small white flowers give it a soft, spilling presence from spring into fall. Use it where a planting needs a finished edge rather than vertical structure: along the front of a sunny bed, over a container rim, or at the outer edge of a hanging basket.
Let Bacopa trail over a defined edge instead of placing it where taller plants will hide it. In beds, reserve the front 6 to 12 inches beside a path, wall, or border edge so the flowering stems can soften the boundary without narrowing circulation. In containers and baskets, place it around the perimeter and keep its cascading growth clear of handles, steps, and doorways. Its trailing habit also suits mixed plantings where upright plants occupy the center.[1][2]
Set plants 12 inches apart, measured center to center. Each plant can reach about 18 inches across, so this spacing allows the low growth to meet and overlap into a continuous edge as the planting fills in. For a loose, individually defined look, leave more open ground between plants. Keep the row set back from paving enough that trailing stems do not spill into the walking line.
Give Bacopa a full-sun position and regular moisture, especially in baskets and other containers that dry quickly. Use soil that stays moist but drains freely, rather than a location that remains waterlogged. Group containers with similar watering needs so this low annual can be watered thoroughly without soaking nearby plants that prefer drier conditions.[1][2]
Bacopa carries its floral display from spring through fall, making it useful for keeping a bed edge or container rim occupied across the main gardening season. Because it is grown as an annual, treat its 18-inch spread as seasonal planting space. Leave access to lift, refresh, or replant it when the display ends.
Editorial content updated 2026-07-20.