Ornamental · Convolvulaceae
Dichondra
Dichondra
A ground-hugging mat of coin-shaped leaves, useful as a barely-mown lawn or a silver cascade spilling from a pot.
Full sun
Every 3–7 days
60–120 days
USDA 8–12
Overview
Dichondra is a low, mat-forming groundcover within the morning glory family, taking its common names ponysfoot and kidney-weed from the small kidney-shaped leaves. Held just an inch or two above the soil, it advances sideways on stems that root as they travel, which lets a handful of plants weave into a broad carpet. In warm regions, growers choose it where a soft green mat outperforms a thirsty, high-mow lawn.
One name spans two quite different plants. The green lawn forms, D. repens and D. micrantha, serve as a fine low-mow turf substitute that wants steady moisture. The silver-leaved 'Silver Falls' is a drought-tolerant trailer prized for the way its felted stems spill over the rim of a container or basket. A wild relative, D. carolinensis, also turns up unbidden in weak turf.
Beyond sun and good drainage, the plant asks for little. It accepts full sun to partial shade and tolerates a broad temperature range, yet it rots in waterlogged ground and weakens under heavy foot traffic. Provide a well-drained site and some patience during establishment, and it largely looks after itself.
Care
The short version: full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil throughout, with steady moisture for the green lawn forms and a notably drier hand for silver 'Silver Falls', and good drainage in every situation.
Light
Dichondra performs best in full sun, though it accepts partial sun and partial shade with little objection. Stronger light keeps the green lawn forms denser, and 'Silver Falls' holds its bright silver coloring most reliably where the sun reaches it.
Water
This is where the two types diverge. Green lawn dichondra wants steady moisture and carries high water needs, while silver 'Silver Falls' becomes very drought tolerant once established and prefers dry to medium soil. Both require good drainage, so water on a rough 3 to 7 day cadence and never let the ground stay soggy, which is what triggers rot.
Soil
Use well-drained sandy loam or a sound garden loam, because drainage is the priority for groundcover plantings. A pH between 6.0 to 7.5 satisfies it, so most ordinary garden soil already falls within range.
Temperature
Dichondra copes with a broad range, roughly 30°F to 100°F (-1°C to 38°C), which explains why it does well in warm-climate gardens. Cold is the limiting factor, and 'Silver Falls' especially is frost tender and killed by a freeze.
Humidity
Ordinary outdoor humidity is sufficient, so there is no target level to manage. The one real concern is damp, crowded foliage, since extended leaf wetness opens the door to leaf spot.
Feeding
Feed monthly through the spring and summer growing season. Apply a higher-nitrogen feed to the green lawn forms to drive dense, even cover, and keep 'Silver Falls' on a much lighter ration so it trails instead of bulking up.
Pruning
Cut back the trailing stems to shape the plant and contain its spread, which is necessary because it advances by rooting at the nodes. The green lawn type is undemanding here, so you can mow it or leave it unmown to suit your preference.
Repotting
Repot container plants seasonally, particularly the fast-growing 'Silver Falls'. Step them up once roots begin circling the pot, the rootball dries quickly after watering, or the stems hang well past the rim with little fresh growth.
Size & spacing
Individual plants stay low, just 1 to 3 inches (2 to 8 cm) tall, but range widely, spreading 2 to 4 feet (60 to 120 cm) across. Space plants with enough room for the rooting stems to bridge the gaps and weave a continuous mat.
When to plant
Dichondra grows in the warm season and has little tolerance for hard cold. Begin seed indoors in early spring, roughly 6 to 8 weeks before your last frost, then sow or transplant outdoors from April to May after the soil has warmed. Look for inconspicuous 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 dichondra trouble comes down to the site, not the plant itself. Thinning, rot, and pest damage tend to track back to heavy traffic, poor drainage, or a stand that never reached full density. Identify the pattern below, then correct the growing conditions first.
Off-color foliage and dieback in wet or chilled ground
When soil cannot drain, the roots and stems sit in standing water and rot sets in; separately, cold ground takes out 'Silver Falls', which is frost tender. Correct the drainage, cut back on irrigation, and bring container 'Silver Falls' under cover ahead of the first frost. Stands grown in well-drained sandy loam can be put back in once spring warms the soil.
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
Sparse, worn stretches along paths and active corners
Two factors combine here: dichondra is slow to establish, and its low mat has poor traffic tolerance, so the routes people actually walk stay thin while protected corners close over. The remedy is to confine it to small, low-traffic ground and stay off the planting until the mat has knit together. Overseed the gaps, hold the soil evenly moist for germination, and apply nitrogen to drive the dense growth that resists wear.
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
Notched, chewed foliage with dark leaf spotting
The chewing damage comes from flea beetles and cutworms, the latter cutting down young seedlings, while leaf-spot pathogens like Alternaria mark the foliage when conditions stay damp. A dense, vigorous stand simply grows past most of this. Irrigate early in the day so leaves dry quickly and break the wetness that feeds disease, strip out heavily spotted foliage, and check with your local extension if damage 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
Reassuring news for pet owners and parents: dichondra is not toxic. It is absent from the ASPCA poison lists, and cats, dogs, and the other animals near a garden can be around it safely. A pet that eats a large amount of foliage may get a brief, mild stomach upset, which holds for nearly any plant.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats None
Considered safe for cats. A cat that grazes heavily on the foliage may show a short, mild digestive upset, no different from eating any other greenery, and nothing beyond that.
Dogs None
Dogs can investigate the plant freely. Swallowing a large mouthful of leaves can produce temporary loose stool, but no actual toxin is involved.
Horses Safe
No risk to horses. The trailing stems and small kidney-shaped leaves contain nothing harmful, even when a horse grazes across the mat.
Rabbits Safe
Rabbits may browse the soft foliage freely, and most handle a patch as they would any other leafy green without issue.
Livestock Safe
Cattle, goats, and sheep face no danger from grazing it. The plant carries no toxin capable of harming a browsing animal.
Birds Safe
Both backyard and pet birds are safe around dichondra, and pecking at the leaves causes them no harm.
People Safe
Safe to keep around children. It is not a food crop, yet a leaf tasted by a curious mouth presents no genuine hazard.
Not poisonous, but pets that nibble foliage may experience at most mild, self-limiting GI upset, as with any plant.
Varieties
Dichondra is less one plant than a small cluster, and the right choice turns on whether you want a lawn, a trailer for a container, or simply the ability to identify the weed. Here are the three worth distinguishing.
Dichondra repens / Dichondra micrantha
Rounded, coin-like kidney leaves on stems that root as they creep, building a fine low-mow lawn substitute and groundcover suited to warm regions.
Dichondra argentea 'Silver Falls'
Felted silver foliage tumbles along quick-growing cascading stems, giving a frost-tender, drought-tolerant trailing accent for pots and hanging baskets that is treated as an annual in cold-winter areas.
Dichondra carolinensis
The native Carolina ponysfoot, a creeping lawn weed that appears in thin, weak turf throughout the South.
How to propagate
Dichondra propagates readily because its stems root anywhere they meet the soil. Depending on the type you are growing, you can begin a new stand from seed, lift rooted pieces, or root 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 standard starting point. Sow in spring, from April to May once the soil has warmed, and hold the seedbed evenly moist through germination. Plan for patience, as it needs several weeks to months to fill into a dense mat.
DivisionEasy
Spring to early summer · A few weeks
Since the trailing stems put down roots wherever they cross the soil, rooted sections lift cleanly and can be relocated in spring or early summer. They take to transplanting easily and establish within a few weeks.
Stem cuttingsEasy
Spring to summer · 2 to 4 weeks
Because the trailing stems root readily at the nodes, cuttings are the easiest route to increase 'Silver Falls'. Take them anytime from spring through summer, and they form roots in 2 to 4 weeks.
Myths
Dichondra is nothing but a lawn weed, or else it is always a wanted lawn.
Both are true, and which one applies depends entirely on the plant in question. The cultivated lawn forms (D. repens/micrantha) and the trailing 'Silver Falls' are valued ornamentals, whereas wild dichondra such as D. carolinensis creeps into thin, weak turf in the South as a weed. No single verdict fits the genus; the species and the planting situation settle it.