Planting DesignDiscover the right plants for your garden.
Silver Falls ™ dichondra . photograph : Proven Winners
Dichondrais an ornamental perennial with a vining or scatter habit that is develop for the attractive leafage . aboriginal to the Americas , Asia , and Australia , this morn glory congener bring out creeping stems and source easily from the folio nodes , making it suitable as a ready - growing priming cover .
BecauseDichondrahas a dense carpeting - like appearance and vigorous ontogeny use , it can be used as a lawn choice in warmer climates . The cascade down habit ofDichondra argenteais versatile in containers and hanging basket , along rock walls , as butt , or inrock garden . Here ’s how to growDichondraand expend it in your landscape .
On this page : Basics|Planting|Care|Varieties|Frequently Asked Questions|Landscaping thought
On this page :
DICHONDRA BASICS
Botanical name:
Dichondraspp .
Plant type:
Tender perennial , often grown as an annual
Zones:
7 - 12 , look on the form
Exposure:
Full sun to partial shade
Habit:
Vining , tracking , or circularise habit . plant have shallow roots and constitute a dense mat .
Height/Spread:
2 to 4 inches grandiloquent , 3 to 6 pes encompassing
Bloom time:
other summer
Flowers:
Small , light-green - yellow or ashen , star - form flowers are unimportant and often hidden beneath the foliage .
Foliage:
lowly , 1/2- to 1 - in green or ash grey leaves are rounded , kidney - form , or fan - form , with a smooth or scalloped edge .
HOW TO PLANT DICHONDRA
When to plant:
Dichondracan be grown from seeded player or starts . Plant in previous spring when nighttime temperatures are 50 degrees or warm and daytime temperature are in the LXX . In warmer mood , it can also be found in former dip .
Where to plant:
Choose a site with full sun to partial shade and rich , well - run out soil .
How to plant:
tease apart soil in the planting area and amend with compost or other full-bodied organic matter , if need . Dig a pickle slightly wider and the same astuteness as the root ball . Remove plant from the glasshouse container and badger out solution if potbound . stead in the yap so the top of the ancestor ball is spirit level with the surrounding ground . satiate in the gob with ground , tamp down gently and pee good to remove airwave pockets . Space plants 3 feet or more apart .
Planting from seed:
Press seed gently into the dirt but do n’t cover , as they postulate spark to germinate . Keep evenly moist until sprouting in about two weeks . Thin seedling to 6 inches apart .
DICHONDRA CARE
See this container recipe . pic : Proven Winners
Soil:
Dichondracan tolerate miserable soils but performs expert in plentiful , well - draining soil with a neutral pH of 6.5 to 7.5 . obviate found in clay or other poorly drain soil to forbid tooth root hogwash . For containers , use a high - quality , all - design potting premix .
Amendments & fertilizer:
Dichondraneeds small or no supplemental fertilizer . If desired , utilise a slow - dismission all - purpose fertilizer according to instructions in natural spring when new growth appears . A thin layer of compost can be localize around the base of the plants to provide nutrients , suppress grass , and retain moisture .
Watering:
Dichondraprefers evenly moist to slightly wry filth . Plants are somewhat drouth liberal once shew . stave off overwatering to prevent fungal diseases or root hogwash . Container specimen dry out more quickly than those in the ground and will need more frequent watering .
Pruning:
When raise as a ground blanket , Dichondracan be mowed to 2 inch high for a not bad appearance . Container specimens can be lightly trimmed as need to retain the desired shape and size of it .
Pests and diseases:
When give optimum growing conditions , dichondra is more resistant to pestilence and diseases . gadfly includeaphids , cutworms , flea mallet , soupcon , whiteflies , slugs , and escargot . Diseases let in leafage touch , powdery mold , pythium blight , root rot , or rust .
DICHONDRA VARIETIES
Photo by : Proven Winners .
SILVER FALLS ™ —Buy now from Proven WinnersDichondra argentea
Zones:10 - 12Habit : Trailing habitHeight / Spread:2 to 6 inches improbable , up to 48 inches longBloom time : Early summer
Also known as silver nickel vine or silver ponysfoot , this sort can be see growing natively in part of the southern U.S. , Mexico , Central America , and South America . Grown for the silvery fan - shaped foliage and graceful cascade habit , Silver Falls ™ is commonly used for give ear baskets , containers , and as edging . tolerate to run out over rock and roll walls or add to a rock garden . Plant in full sun for best coloring .
picture : Simona Pavan / Shutterstock
KIDNEY WEEDDichondra repenssyn . D. micrantha
Zones:7 - 11Habit : Creeping spreading habitHeight / Spread:2 inches magniloquent , up to 36 inches wideBloom time : summertime ; blossom are insignificant
Native to Australia and New Zealand , kidney weed is a perennial herbaceous plant that produces green kidney - shaped leaves on vigorous plants . Also known as lawn leaf , this rapid broadcaster is useful as a lawn backup man where traditional lawns fail to thrive , though it can only bear light foot traffic . It is regarded as a lawn smoke in California .
pic : Evannovostro / Shutterstock
CAROLINA PONYSFOOTDichodra carolinensis
Zones:8 - 11Habit : creep spreading habitHeight / Spread:1 to 3 inch magniloquent , 36 inches wideBloom prison term : summertime
Carolina ponysfoot is aboriginal to the southeast U.S. , where it can be found grow in moist floodplains and disturbed sites . Plants have green kidney - forge leaves and a creeping riding habit . This rapid spreader is utile for quick covering large areas . The leafage is edible , either raw or cooked , is used as a culinary herb , and can be dried for tea .
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
IsDichondradeer resistant?
Dichondra is considered cervid resistant , though deer may graze on plants if other food sources are scarce .
IsDichondrapoisonous?
Dichondrais considered toxic or mildly toxic ( information is interracial ) to pets or children . Some modest stomach distress may occur if plants are ingested .
IsDichondrainvasive?
BecauseDichondragrows vigorously , it may have encroaching quality in some areas . Keep plants pruned back as needed to control ontogenesis .
IsDichondraa good ground cover?
Dichondra is useful for quickly covering declamatory areas , making it an effective ground cover version .
DoesDichondracome back every year?
In USDA zones 10 - 12,Dichondracan be grown as a perennial . Silver Falls ™ is less hardy and is most commonly grown as an annual .
WillDichondrachoke out grass?
Dichondracan found itself in turf lawns where there are bleak musca volitans , and can be difficult to eradicate . intelligent lawn with obtuse , lush growing are less susceptible .
CanDichondrasurvive winter?
Kidney weed and Carolina ponysfoot can winter from class to year in milder climate . Silver ponysfoot is develop as an yearly in all but the warm regions .
DICHONDRA LANDSCAPING TIPS
photograph : Proven Winners
For borders and landscapes:
Use as a lawn alternative , in mass plantings , rock gardens , as a ground top or inch .
For slopes and hillsides:
Sow dichondra seed and allow to naturalize along a gradient . Mass plant originate or divide established plant to cover a side or hillside .
For containers:
Plant in a hanging hoop , window boxwood , or container , by itself or in combination with other plant life with standardised acquire needs .
There are many ways to useDichondrain your landscape . Here ’s how :
Companion plants : With its indifferent K or silvery tones , Dichondrapairs well with most other colors . Combine in a container or border withalyssum , angelonia , begonia , coleus , coral Alexander Bell , fuchsia , lobelia , lantana , calibrachoa , petunia , phlox , salviaorverbena .
