Tribe Dichondreae | Scientific name Dichondra Rank Genus | |
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Lower classifications Dichondra repens, Silver ponysfoot | ||
No mow dichondra lawn update 2013
Dichondra is a small genus of flowering plants in the morning glory family, Convolvulaceae. They are prostrate, perennial, herbaceous plants, with creeping stems which take root readily at the leaf nodes. The flowers are white, greenish or yellowish, 2–3 mm diameter.
Contents
- No mow dichondra lawn update 2013
- Dichondra garden plants
- Selected species
- Cultivation and uses
- References
The number of species is disputed, with some authors dividing the genus regionally into about ten separate species, while others accept only two species. Members of the genus are commonly known as ponysfoots and are native to tropical and warm temperate regions around the world.
The genus name is derived from the Greek words δίς (dis), meaning "two", and χόνδρος (chondros), meaning "grain". It refers to the fruits.
Dichondra garden plants
Selected species
Cultivation and uses
Some Dichondra species are cultivated as ornamental plants, with cultivar selections also available. Dichondra micrantha is used as a groundcover. Dichondra argentea is a light silver leaved accent plant. The Dichondra argentea 'Silver Falls' cultivar is often used for trailing over the rims of potted plants, and has lower water needs.
Dichondra micrantha was very popular in Southern California in the 1950s and 1960s as a grass substitute for lawns. Each leaf consists of a stem with a nearly circular or kidney-shaped horizontal leaf top, between 8–25 mm in diameter with a 20–35 mm petiole. A healthy lawn consisting entirely of Dichondra is fairly difficult to start, grow, and maintain. Neighbors' Bermuda grass often seeded in, with Oaxalis sp. and other weeds.
In some habitats and landscapes of the United States, some of the non-native Dichondra species are treated as weeds.