Kidney weed

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; afternoon shade helps in hot, dry gardens. Growth becomes thinner in deep shade.

Water

Keep evenly moist while establishing. Established plants tolerate brief dry spells, but need watering during prolonged drought to retain a dense green cover.

Soil

Well-drained soil with moderate fertility; tolerates several soil types but struggles in waterlogged or heavily compacted ground.

Height

0.1-0.2 ft (0.03-0.06 m)

Spread

3 ft (0.9 m) or more; rooting stems can continue spreading where conditions suit.

Foliage

Evergreen. Small, rounded to kidney-shaped green leaves on slender creeping stems that root at the nodes.

Growth

Moderate to fast in warm weather with adequate moisture.

Care needed

Low

• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Needs looking after

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   0 ft (0.01 m)

2. After 1 year

   0.1 ft (0.03 m)

3. After 2 years

   0.1 ft (0.05 m)

   full size

About 2 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Native to

Australia

In the garden

Spreads vigorously: plan to contain it.

Growth rate

Fast

• Water regularly during establishment, then water deeply when the surface soil begins to dry.
• Remove weeds before planting and hand-weed gaps until the groundcover closes.
• Apply a light feed in spring if growth is pale or sparse; avoid heavy lawn-fertiliser applications.
• Keep frequent foot traffic off the planting and use stepping stones for regular routes.
• Lift rooted pieces in spring to fill bare patches, keeping them moist until established.

Pruning. Trim wandering stems during the growing season to keep paths and neighbouring plants clear. Mowing is usually unnecessary; if needed, use a high setting and avoid scalping the leaves.

Spring

Once frost risk has passed, plant plugs or rooted divisions into weed-free soil.

Late spring

Check establishment, hand-weed gaps and give a light feed only if growth needs it.

Summer

Water during dry spells and trim runners spreading into beds or across paving.

Early autumn

In warm climates, repair thin patches with rooted pieces while the soil is still warm.

Late autumn

Move containers under cover where winter temperatures fall below its tolerance.

Winter

Avoid walking on saturated groundcover and keep sheltered pots barely moist rather than wet.

• Plant between widely spaced stepping stones to soften paving where foot traffic is light.
• Use beneath open-canopied shrubs to make a low green carpet without hiding their trunks.
• Replace small, lightly used lawn areas in mild climates, with a firm path for regular access.
• Let stems trail over the edges of containers or low retaining walls.

Garden styles it suits: Australian native, Modern courtyard, Japanese, Green on green, Small-space and Modern tropical.

Plant it with: Lomandra, Dianella, Japanese maple, Camellia, Liriope and Mondo grass.

Wildlife: The dense mat provides shelter for small ground-dwelling invertebrates. Its tiny, inconspicuous flowers are not a major garden nectar source.

• Slugs and snails can damage young leaves: remove hiding places and use traps or a labelled iron-phosphate bait where needed.
• Yellowing or rotting patches in wet soil: improve drainage, reduce watering and replace damaged plants after correcting the cause.
• Thin, bare growth from heavy traffic or deep shade: redirect walking onto paving or move the planting to a brighter position.
• Brown patches during drought or frost: water drought-stressed plants and wait for warm-weather regrowth before removing frost-damaged sections.

Not known to be toxic to cats, dogs, horses or people. No part is recognised as a significant poisoning hazard, though species-specific information is limited and it is not a food plant.

Where it spreads. Rooting stems can spread into neighbouring lawns and beds in mild parts of Australia and the southern United States. Keep edges contained; reports under the name dichondra sometimes refer to the similar Dichondra micrantha rather than this species.

• Asian ponysfoot (Dichondra micrantha)

  Extremely similar and often sold or recorded under the same common names. Reliable identification usually requires close examination of flowers and fruit rather than leaf shape alone.

• Silver ponysfoot (Dichondra argentea)

  Has distinctly silvery, hairy foliage rather than the green leaves of kidney weed.

• Ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea)

  Has opposite leaves with clearly scalloped edges, square stems, an aromatic smell when crushed and purple flowers; kidney weed has alternate, mostly smooth-edged leaves.

The common name refers to the kidney-shaped leaves, while the Latin repens means creeping.

Propagation. Divide established mats or detach rooted runners in spring or early summer and replant promptly. Seed can also be sown in warm conditions; keep the seedbed consistently moist until seedlings establish.

Accepted botanical name

Dichondra repens

Native range

Chatham Is., Mauritius, New South Wales, New Zealand North, New Zealand South, Norfolk Is., Queensland, Rodrigues, Réunion, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria.

Measured

Average height 9 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0) and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.