Dichondra argentea, commonly called silver ponysfoot or silver nickel vine, is a creeping/trailing evergreen perennial that is native to desert regions in western Texas, New Mexico, southeastern Arizona and northern Mexico. Because of its cascading habit, it can easily grow on areas that it should not reach. The stems are stiff to help it hold its position in the tank. Dichondra Repens is extremely versatile, and its flowering blooms can add a wonderful splash of color across the entire area where it’s grown. Landscape Information Plant Image French Name: Dichondra. This gallery focuses on beautiful but invasive species. MEXICAN DICHONDRA | Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’ Similar to Australian dichondra, but more sun tolerant Introduced, Invasive, and Noxious Plants : Threatened & Endangered: Wetland Indicator Status : 50,000+ Plant Images : Complete PLANTS Checklist: State PLANTS Checklist: Advanced Search Download: Symbols for Unknown Plants September 2008. Q: Dear Nancy, Help....we have a yard full of dichondra.. We live in the Phoenix, AZ area. USE IN: Plant in shaded areas to create a dense lawn, dichondra will tolerate light foot traffic.Great for adding contrast to paved areas and stepping stones. Invasive Species Compendium. Join the RHS today and get 12 months for the price of 9. This ridiculously care free plant spreads easily and has leaves, which are lobed, or kidney shaped and is also called as kidney weeds in Australia. An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. Dichondra is usually isolated to a few small preferred spots in the lawn where it is thin and not well maintained. Dichondra repens as a lawn substitute. September 2008. Detailed coverage of invasive species threatening livelihoods and the environment worldwide. Dichondra repens. Detailed coverage of invasive species threatening livelihoods and the environment worldwide. However, dichondra can also be considered as a weed – invasive and aggressive. privacy terms CCA 3.0 Australia terms CCA 3.0 Australia Dichondra. Dichondra repens (Dichondra, Kidneyweed) Attractive ground cover and lawn substitute, can grow in mant climate. Keep the spread of the plant in check by pulling plants and their roots that grow outside the plot. Dichondra (Dichondra Repens) - This is a perennial ground cover plant which has a prostrate or creeping growth habit with circular leaves and entire margins that is grown from Dichondra seed. November 2017. Britton, N.L., and A. [1] In California as well as parts of China it has escaped gardens and naturalised in some habitats.[2][3][4]. It will continue to grow and propagate itself until it takes over the entire yard. Dichondra repens, image by Javier Volcan. It grows very close to the ground, (usually not over 2 inches tall) and is a warm season fast growing ground cover. Dichondra repens; Flower. Dichondra micrantha, more commonly known as kidney weed or Asian ponysfoot, is a creeping perennial frequently used as a grass-substitute in home landscaping. Dichondra repens - kidneyweed. Dichronda will do well in sun and shade conditions, can tolerate many soil types, and can go without water for some periods; though it will need to have a deep heavy watering when it is again watered. Dichondra repens J.r. Forst. December 2007. It forms mats not over 1 1 ⁄ 2 to 3 inches tall. November 2017. Invasive Dichondra Has Taken Over Grass. In shaded areas under trees. 1913. Noteworthy Characteristics. Dichondra Plant Info Dichondra (Dichondra repens) is a perennial ground cover plant (in USDA zones 7-11) that has a somewhat upright, creeping habit with circular leaves. All dichondras spread by runners and fill in fast for lawn areas or drape in potted conditions. Within New South Wales it is widespread across eastern and central parts of the state. Staurogyne Repens By Lennart Johnk. It is occasionally known as kidney weed in Australia and as Mercury Bay weed in New Zealand. The base of the leaf is heart-shaped (cordate) and its apex emarginated or rounded. Young Plant. Dichondra repens. The tiny yellowish-green flowers can appear at any time of the year,[8] more profusely from September to February and most so in November. It grows quite rapidly in warmer climates and covers empty spaces very well. It is also used as a soft lawn alternative which doesn’t need mowing, though it won’t stand up to hard traffic. Dichondra repens is a small, prostrate, herbaceous plant native to New Zealand and many parts of Australia. Dichondra Repens, also known as Kidney Weed, (Dichondra repens) is an Australian native plant that is an attractive and useful ground cover or lawn substitute that will grow readily in most climates. [11] It comes in shades of green through to grey. But the invasive dicchondra has taken over. Dichondra can often be mistaken to be dollarweed because of their similar appearance. [9], The native Pacific black duck (Anas superciliosa) eats the seeds.[9]. in height and retains its bright green color in temperatures as low as 25 F. (-3 C.). Habit. The kidney-shaped to nearly circular leaves grow alternate to each other, sometimes appearing whorled on the stems. Dichondra repens. It has a broad almost circular leaf. Dichondra is very hard to remove weeds from so make sure you pull out all … Dichondra (Dichondra repens) is often recommended as a lawn substitute and is effective as such, but only as an ornamental lawn since it does not tolerate being walked on.What you must be vigilant for is dichondra creeping into a grass lawn, as its stems are so fine and fragile that you cannot pick them all out, and pieces left behind will regenerate. Monitor the spread of the dichondra so that it doesn’t overtake the lawn. Australia. The plant is a perennial herb that has a creeping habit, with roots forming at the nodes. The seed he… Australia. The basic lawn is bermuda grass with some type of hybrid grass thrown in. [7] In Convolvulaceae, the Morning Glory Family. November 2006. 3 vols. Australia. Staurogyne repens looks similar to species in the invasive Hygrophila genus which contains South American swamp weeds, but these grow a bit taller and have larger leaves.. It did take a while to … Join now. It can also be found in lawns, where it may be deliberately planted or come up as a weed. It can also smother other plants, especially the ones that are shorter and smaller. These are perennial and herbaceous plants native to warm temperate and tropical regions of the world. It has a beautiful, dense thatch of delightful, lily-pad shaped leaves that become smaller and tighter with increased light intensity. It is occasionally known as kidney weed in Australia and as Mercury Bay weed in New Zealand. Filter by type Search Advanced search Datasheet Dichondra repens ... Dichondra repens Index. Generate a print friendly version containing only the sections you need. Advanced Seed Dichondra Repens has broad, circular leaves and is used in many situations where grasses may not do well eg. Associated species in New South Wales are river peppermint (Eucalyptus elata), thin-leaved stringybark (E. eugenioides),woollybutt (E. longifolia) and snow-in-summer (Melaleuca linariifolia). 1219897 sightings of 6162 species in 1174 locations from 3493 members . [8], It grows on clay or clay-based soils that are medium to high in nutrients in flat places in forested areas. Planting - To plant dichondra ground cover seed you need a thoroughly prepared seedbed and weed free in the beginning. The leaves are kidney-shaped to circular and measure 0.5 to 2.5 cm (0.2–1 in) long. Dichondra Lawn Due to its quick spreading habit, dichondra works as a no-mow lawn substitute in spots that don't get much foot traffic. Dichondra repens was originally described by German naturalists Johann Reinhold Forster and Georg Forster, its specific epithet the Latin adjective repens, meaning "creeping". & G. Forst. It grows so easily from ground cover seeds that it can be used as a lawn alternative to create a Dichondra Repens lawn. December 2007. Question From: Tempe, Arizona, United States . Auckland Botanic Gardens, New Zealand. Dichondra repens occurs in South Africa. ©Krzysztof Ziarnek/via Wikimedia Commons - CC BY-SA 4.0. Mar 31, 2015 - Use these photos of invasive plants help to identify them. Dichondra, though, is smaller and prefers shady moist areas of the lawn. Dichondra repens; Leaves. [10] It is found in all mainland Australian states and Tasmania. Dichondra repens J. R. Forst. Most commonly called dichondra in Australia. In frost free climates, dichondra is more likely to spread out of bounds, sending out creepers that root along the way. & G.Forst", "Ecology of Sydney Plants 3: families Cabombaceae to Eupomatiaceae", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dichondra_repens&oldid=986858539, All Wikipedia articles written in Australian English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 3 November 2020, at 12:03. Dichondra repens Ground Cover Dichondra repens. A vigorous grower if watered regularly, Dichondra provides a dense ground hugging cover, and whilst the preferred aspect is full sun it grows readily in areas up to to 80% shade. It looks beautiful in landscaped areas where it does not need to be mown. Dichondra repens; Flowers and leaves with key for scale. We are a tubestock nursery. However, only one species is grown in the culture ― Dichondra repens, or Dichondra argentea, which is a herbaceous evergreen plant (a detailed description of the species is given above). Australia. Dichonrda repens is a low growing, and evergreen herbaceous plant that servers very well as all-seasons ground cover. Australia. Most commonly called dichondra in Australia. Like many plants that are vigorous and happy where they are growing, dichondra can develop invasive qualities in the landscape. In sunny positions this is a low growing ground cover however moisture is required, dry sunny positions … [5] The lectotype was collected by them in New Zealand[6] and is in the Forster collection at Göttingen. Auckland Botanic Gardens, New Zealand. On the other hand, dollarweed can tolerate a wide variety of soils, temperatures and water conditions and will populate the entire lawn. Dichondra repens is a stunning, small leafed, Australasian native groundcover which makes a wonderful alternative lawn. Leaves often form a shallow cup shape and are stalked. Dichondra (Dichondra repens) is a perennial, spreading by slender creeping stems that root at the nodes. Family Convolvulaceae Name Status RHS Accepted name Get involved. Dichondra repens – Kidney Weed A creeping plant that spreads widely from underground stolons, making it a good ground cover. "Kidney–weed Dichondra (Dichondra micrantha (=Dichondra repens))", "On distant shores: New Zealand's natives as weeds abroad", "Type of Dichondra repens J.R.Forst. If grown as a lawn substitute Dichondra repens will need little to no mowing and in this respect it is low maintenance. Genus name comes from the Greek words di meaning two and chondros meaning lump in reference to the fruit having two capsules. Dichondra repens is a small, prostrate, herbaceous plant native to New Zealand and many parts of Australia. Dichondra (Dichondra repens) is often recommended as a lawn substitute and is effective as such, but only as an ornamental lawn since it does not tolerate being walked on. Works well in maxiumum of 80 % shaded areas. Is Dichondra Micrantha Toxic to Animals?. It has a bright green colour and a cushion feel underfoot. It is a vibrant green color; much brighter than some other hardy examples like hornwort.. The round leaves grow parallel to the soil and are seen growing in groups much like dollarweed. This species is cultivated as an ornamental plant, and can be used as a lawn substitute or groundcover in gardens. The plant often occurs in forest, woodland, and grassland habitat types. This species has a couple of varieties, namely, silver dichondra and green dichondra, which are trendy in the culture: Brown. Flowers & G. Forst. In fact, it forms a thick and tight carpet of small and round leaves. Leaves are 1/4 to 1-1/2 inches (0.6–3.7 cm) wide, and are alternate to one another along the trailing stem. CABI is a registered EU trademark. Dichondra Repens is commonly called Kidney Weed, Dichondra Pony Foot, or Lawn Leaf. We proceeded to get our sod removed and planted Dichondra repens. Dichondra repens; Flower. Flea beetles can be a problem. What you must be vigilant for is dichondra creeping into a grass lawn, as its stems are so fine and fragile that you cannot pick them all out, and pieces left behind will regenerate. DESCRIPTION: Spreading native groundcover with kidney shaped leaves and small white flowers spring and summer. This means all our plants come in 2 inch (50mm) pots. © Copyright 2020 CAB International. While it’s lovely, dichondra is also considered to be an invasive species in some areas. Leaves. It is like a dense carpet that covers the soil. Non-native species, especially the green varieties, can become aggressive and slightly invasive. 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