There are about 267 species of Wahlenbergia worldwide, of which most are found in South Africa. Most of them are annuals or herbaceous perennials with bell-shaped flowers in shades of mauve, blue, white, or cream.

Wahlenbergia rivularis is a perennial that flowers throughout the summer with beautiful white to cream bells. It prefers a slightly more damp soil than Wahlenbergia undulata and grows in full sun or semi-shade. The growth habit also differs from that of Wahlenbergia undulata. It spreads along the ground forming a groundcover of soft green leaves with white flowers about 30 cm above the ground. Wahlenbergia rivularis looks lovely planted along the edge of a path or a pond. It goes slightly dormant in winter looking a bit untidy, but remains green. Wahlenbergia rivularis roots as it spread making it easy to propagate by division, from cuttings or seed.