Silver Falls Dichondra

Silver Falls Dichondra (Dichondra argentea 'Silver Falls') is the cascading silver foliage you see spilling over pots and retaining walls in designer gardens. It grows only about 15cm high but spreads a metre wide, and the trailing stems hang well over a metre down a wall or a basket. The small round leaves carry a metallic sheen that lifts dark foliage and grey stone.

Why you'll love it

• A waterfall of silver. The weeping habit is the whole point. Given an edge to fall over, the stems cascade a metre or more and keep going.
• Fast to cover. As a groundcover it knits together quickly, so a bare rockery or slope fills in within a single season.
• Tough once away. Drought and heat tolerant and untroubled by poor soil, so it thrives in the reflected heat spots where most groundcovers fail.
• Safe around pets. Not toxic to cats or dogs, which matters for a plant grown where animals brush past it.

Where it works best

Retaining walls and slopes. The signature use. Plant along the top of a wall, 300mm to 500mm back from the edge so the roots are not constantly drying out. Space 40cm apart for a continuous curtain.

Pots, baskets and window boxes. One plant per corner of a large container softens the rim and ties the pot to whatever sits below it. It is the classic spiller in a mixed planting.

Groundcover, rockeries and edging. Plant 40cm apart for a silvery carpet through a bed or between shrubs, where it threads over rocks and path edges.

Growing Silver Falls Dichondra in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the brightest silver and the tightest growth; part shade works but the colour drifts greener. It suits warm temperate, subtropical, Mediterranean and arid gardens, so Perth, Adelaide, Sydney and inland regions all work. It takes light frost only, so in Canberra, Melbourne and the tablelands treat it as a warm season container plant.

Soil and drainage. This is the make or break. It needs sharp drainage and dislikes wet feet. In pots use a free draining premium mix rather than a moisture retaining one, and on clay plant on a raised mound.

Water. Water regularly for the first six to eight weeks, then cut back to an occasional deep drink. Pots need more attention in a heatwave, but soggy mix causes far more losses than dry mix.

Feeding and trimming. A light dose of controlled release fertiliser in early spring is enough. Trim the trailing stems back by a third if they thin out, and it will reshoot denser from the crown.

What to expect when it arrives

It is supplied in tube stock and in 140mm pots in packs of ten. Both are the right way to buy a groundcover: small plants establish faster than large ones, and at 40cm spacing you need a fair number to cover an area. A 140mm plant carries some trailing growth; tubes are the value option for a long wall.

Plants travel upright and are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Expect the stems to start running within four to six weeks in warm weather, with good coverage by the end of the first season. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• The best trailing plants for retaining walls
• Browse the full groundcover range
• More plants for walls and slopes
• Other plants that perform in containers

Common questions

How many plants do I need?

Space them 40cm apart for a solid carpet, which is roughly six plants per square metre. Along the top of a wall, a single row at 40cm spacing set back from the edge is enough.

Can I walk on it?

No. It is an ornamental groundcover, not a lawn substitute, and foot traffic breaks the stems. Use steppers through it if you need access.

Why has mine gone thin and patchy?

Usually too much water, too little sun, or both. Check drainage first, move pots into full sun, and trim straggly stems back by a third.