Kidney Weed

Kidney weed (Dichondra repens) is the softest native groundcover we sell, and the closest thing to a lawn that never needs mowing. It runs flat across the ground at about 100mm high, carpeting bare soil with small round bright green leaves, and it takes light foot traffic without complaint. Planted 20cm apart it closes into full cover in a single growing season, in sun or shade, from the tropics through to cool temperate districts.

Why you'll love it

• A lawn you never mow. It holds itself at around 100mm tall. No mower, no catcher, no weekend spent on it.
• Sun or shade, it does not mind. One of the very few groundcovers that will carpet under a tree and also hold an open sunny bank.
• Australian native and pet friendly. Indigenous to Australia and New Zealand, and safe around cats and dogs.
• Copes with wet ground. Wet feet tolerant, frost hardy and salt tolerant, so it handles the damp shaded corner where turf goes patchy.
• Fills awkward gaps. Between pavers, along stepping stones, and over the edge of a raised bed.

Where it works best

As a lawn substitute. Plant 20cm apart across the whole area, roughly 25 plants per square metre. It carries light foot traffic, a shortcut across the yard or a path to the clothesline, but it is not a surface for backyard cricket.

Under trees and in shaded beds. This is where it earns its keep. Root competition and low light finish off most turf, while kidney weed keeps creeping.

Growing kidney weed in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun through to full shade. It suits tropical, subtropical, warm temperate and cool temperate gardens, and it is frost hardy, so southern winters are no problem. In sun it grows tighter and denser; in shade the leaves get larger and the cover is looser.

Soil. Almost anything, including ground that stays damp. Weed the area thoroughly first, because once the runners knit together you cannot get in among them to pull anything out.

Water and feed. Keep it evenly moist for the first two months while the runners take hold, then water in dry spells only. It flattens and dulls under drought and greens straight back up with rain. A light liquid feed in spring and summer keeps the colour strong.

Maintenance. Almost none. It spreads indefinitely by runners, so run shears or a whipper snipper along the edge two or three times a year to keep it off paths and out of garden beds.

What to expect when it arrives

It comes as tubestock, in 140mm packs of ten, and as a 330mm tile, which is a ready grown mat you lay like a small piece of turf. Tubes and 140mm plants are the economical way to cover a large area, and the tiles are the fastest way to fill a small courtyard. Expect small plants: the value sits in how quickly it spreads, not how big it starts.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Runners usually start moving within three to four weeks in warm weather, with full cover from 20cm spacing in about one growing season. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Compare groundcovers and climbing plants
• Browse Australian native plants
• How to prepare ground before a mass planting

Common questions

How many plants do I need per square metre?

At 20cm spacing, about 25 plants per square metre. Stretching to 30cm drops that to roughly eleven plants and still works, it simply takes an extra season to close over.

Can I walk on it?

Light foot traffic only. It handles a regular path across the yard, but it will thin out under a trampoline, a swing set or daily heavy play.

Will it take over the garden?

It spreads by runners and keeps going as long as conditions suit, so it needs an edge. A hard border, a path, or a couple of trims a year holds it where you want it.