Ornamental · Convolvulaceae
Dichondra
Dichondra
A low carpet of coin-shaped leaves that styles a home as a lawn you rarely mow or a silver waterfall pouring over a pot.
Full sun
Every 3–7 days
60–120 days
USDA 8–12
Overview
Dichondra is a low, mat-forming groundcover in the morning glory family, named for the small kidney-shaped leaves behind common names like ponysfoot and kidney-weed. It rises only an inch or two and travels sideways on stems that root as they spread, so a handful of plants can grow into a wide, unbroken carpet. In warm-region gardens it has become the quiet, lived-in alternative to a thirsty, high-maintenance lawn.
One name, two very different roles. The green lawn forms, D. repens and D. micrantha, give you a refined low-mow stand-in for turf that prefers steady moisture. The silver-leaved 'Silver Falls' is the drought-tolerant trailer chosen for the way it spills over the lip of a pot or basket and dresses an edge. There is also a wild cousin, D. carolinensis, that arrives uninvited in weak turf.
Little of this is demanding once it has sun and good drainage. The plant accepts full sun to partial shade and copes with a broad temperature swing, yet it rots in waterlogged ground and falters where feet pass often. Give it a free-draining spot and a stretch of patience as it knits together, and from then on it largely looks after itself.
Care
The short version: site it in full sun to partial shade with well-drained soil, keep steady moisture for the green lawn forms and a far drier hand for silver 'Silver Falls', and make sure the drainage is good no matter which one you grow.
Light
Dichondra is happiest in full sun, though it accepts partial sun and partial shade with little fuss. The green lawn forms hold a denser look in strong light, and 'Silver Falls' keeps its bright silver tone best where the sun can reach it.
Water
This is where the two part company. Green lawn dichondra wants steady moisture and drinks heavily, while silver 'Silver Falls' is very drought tolerant once settled and leans toward dry to medium soil. Good drainage is non-negotiable for both, so water on a loose 3 to 7 day schedule and never leave the ground sodden.
Soil
Set it in well-drained sandy loam or a sound garden loam, since drainage outweighs all else for groundcover use. A pH anywhere from 6.0 to 7.5 suits it, which puts most ordinary garden soil comfortably within reach.
Temperature
Dichondra takes a wide range, from about 30°F to 100°F (-1°C to 38°C), which explains its ease in warm-climate gardens. Cold is the soft spot, and 'Silver Falls' especially is frost tender and lost to a freeze.
Humidity
Ordinary outdoor humidity is all it asks, so there is no figure to manage. The only real concern is damp, crowded foliage, since leaves left wet too long open the door to leaf spot.
Feeding
Feed monthly through the spring and summer growing season. Give the green lawn forms a higher-nitrogen feed to coax dense, even cover, and keep 'Silver Falls' on a much leaner diet so it trails gracefully rather than thickening.
Pruning
Trim the trailing stems to shape the plant and rein in its reach, which counts because it spreads by rooting at the nodes. The green lawn form is relaxed about it, so you can mow it or leave it unmown to taste.
Repotting
Potted plants prefer repotting seasonally, the fast-moving 'Silver Falls' most of all. Step them up once roots begin to circle, the rootball dries out quickly after watering, or the stems spill well past the rim with scant new growth.
Size & spacing
Each plant keeps low, just 1 to 3 inches (2 to 8 cm) tall, while reaching wide at 2 to 4 feet (60 to 120 cm) across. Space them with enough room for the rooting stems to bridge the gaps and draw together into one continuous mat.
When to plant
Dichondra is a warm-season grower with little patience for hard cold. Begin seed indoors in early spring, roughly 6 to 8 weeks before your last frost, then sow or plant out from April to May once the ground has warmed. Look for modest greenish-yellow to white flowers across May and June.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Sow: early spring, about 6-8 weeks before last frost
- Plant: after last frost when soil has warmed, April to May
- Harvest: inconspicuous greenish-yellow to white flowers May to June
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 8–12
Temperature: down to -12°C
Troubleshooting
Most setbacks here say more about the spot than the plant. Thinning, rot, and pest damage tend to track back to heavy traffic, poor drainage, or a stand that never quite closed. Match what you are seeing below, then put the conditions right first.
Fading and collapse where the ground stays cold or wet
A site that holds water turns against this plant, inviting root and stem rot, and cold weather is the end of 'Silver Falls', which is frost tender. Lift the drainage, hold back on watering, and bring container 'Silver Falls' under shelter ahead of the first frost. Anything planted in well-drained sandy loam can go back out in spring once the soil has warmed.
Fix:
- Improve drainage and reduce irrigation frequency
- Move container 'Silver Falls' under cover or indoors before frost
- Plant in well-drained sandy loam
- Replant in spring once soil warms
Thin, worn stretches where the household walks most
This is a groundcover that asks for patience and quiet. It is slow to establish and resents being trodden on, so the routes you use daily stay sparse while the calm, out-of-the-way corners settle in beautifully. Reserve it for small, gentle areas, hold off walking on it until the mat has closed, then overseed the lean spots, keep them evenly moist, and feed with nitrogen to draw out dense growth.
Fix:
- Limit dichondra lawns to small, low-traffic areas
- Keep foot traffic off until the mat is fully established
- Overseed or plug thin areas and keep evenly moist
- Fertilize with nitrogen to encourage dense growth
Nibbled leaves and dark marks across the mat
A few visitors leave their mark: flea beetles and cutworms graze the leaves and cut down young seedlings, while leaf-spot diseases like Alternaria appear in muggy spells. A strong, full stand tends to take it in stride. Water early so foliage dries quickly, clear away the worst of the spotted leaves, and turn to your local extension for guidance if the trouble keeps spreading.
Fix:
- Maintain vigorous, dense growth to outgrow minor damage
- Reduce leaf wetness by watering early in the day
- Remove and dispose of severely spotted foliage
- Consult local extension for control options
Toxicity
A relief for pet owners and parents alike: dichondra is not toxic. It is missing from the ASPCA poison lists, and cats, dogs, and the rest of the garden's regulars can share a space with it safely. A pet that puts away a lot of foliage may have a brief, mild stomach upset, much as it would with nearly any plant.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats None
An easy plant to keep in a cat household. Should a cat work through a fair amount of foliage, the worst you might see is a short, mild stomach upset, no different from any other greenery.
Dogs None
A dog can sniff around it freely. A big gulp of leaves might lead to a passing spell of loose stool, but there is no genuine toxin involved.
Horses Safe
Horses face no risk from it at all. The trailing stems and little kidney-shaped leaves hold nothing harmful, even when a horse grazes across the mat.
Rabbits Safe
Rabbits are welcome to graze the soft foliage, and many take to a patch as they would any leafy green, with no bother.
Livestock Safe
Cattle, goats, and sheep can browse it without concern. The plant carries no toxin that would trouble a grazing animal.
Birds Safe
Garden birds and pet birds alike are at ease around dichondra. A peck at the leaves does them no harm.
People Safe
A reassuring choice for homes with children. It is not grown for the table, yet a leaf in a curious mouth carries no real danger.
Not poisonous, but pets that nibble foliage may experience at most mild, self-limiting GI upset, as with any plant.
Varieties
Dichondra is less a single plant than a small set, and the one to choose follows the look you are after: a soft lawn, a trailer to grace a pot, or simply the weed to recognize. These are the three worth keeping straight.
Dichondra repens / Dichondra micrantha
Its green, coin-shaped kidney leaves root along the stems to lay down a fine, low-mow alternative to turf and a soft groundcover for warm-region gardens.
Dichondra argentea 'Silver Falls'
Felted silver leaves stream down quick, cascading stems, giving containers and hanging baskets a tender, drought-tolerant trailing accent that is treated as an annual wherever winters run cold.
Dichondra carolinensis
The wild Carolina ponysfoot is the creeping lawn weed that surfaces in thin, weak turf throughout the South.
How to propagate
Multiplying dichondra is straightforward, since its stems root wherever they meet the soil. Depending on the type in front of you, start a fresh stand from seed, lift rooted pieces, or take cuttings.
SeedModerate
Spring, April to May after soil warms · Several weeks to months to form a dense mat
For a green dichondra lawn, seed is the usual starting point. Scatter it in spring, between April and May once the soil has warmed, and hold the ground evenly moist through germination. Plan on patience, as it needs several weeks to months to weave into a dense mat.
DivisionEasy
Spring to early summer · A few weeks
Since the stems take root as they wander across the soil, rooted sections can be lifted and relocated in spring or early summer. They move with little fuss and find their feet within a few weeks.
Stem cuttingsEasy
Spring to summer · 2 to 4 weeks
Because trailing stems root so readily at the nodes, cuttings are the most effortless route to more 'Silver Falls'. Gather them anywhere from spring through summer and they establish roots in 2 to 4 weeks.
Myths
Dichondra is nothing but a lawn weed, or else it is always a lawn you would want.
Both can be true, and it comes down to which plant you have in mind. The cultivated lawn forms (D. repens/micrantha) and the trailing 'Silver Falls' are valued ornamentals, whereas a wild type such as D. carolinensis is a creeping weed that moves into thin, weak turf across the South. On its own the plant is neither virtue nor nuisance; the species and the setting make the call.