Indigenous Ground Cover Plant – Kidney-weed
Ground Cover 1 year after bushfire. Kidney Weed - Dichondra repens.
Ground cover plants are so important for the health of our soil protecting it from excessive sunlight and erosion. Ground cover plants are particularly important in keeping bush blocks healthy with quality indigenous vegetation and stopping inundation by weeds. Weeds are opportunistic and love open soil spaces. Ground cover plants are also critical to the micro-habitat (food and shelter) for all the small wildlife species that are often the base of any food chain; the insects and other small reptiles, amphibians and birds.
Kidney-weed – Dichondra repens is particulary good indigenous ground cover plant that is drought tolerant and has a good cover and holds a nice form and lush green color. After the bushfire we had mass regeneration of Kidney-weed – Dichondra repens and successfully transplanted Kidney-weed – Dichondra repens into pots and also just moved it from one place to another in our garden area as we have had to manage building works on areas that were fire affected (mostly our retaining walls).
It grows quickly and takes up space protecting the soil, especially good after a disturbance like a bushfire or just when you are doing major garden works and need to cover bare soil quickly. It is a great alternative to lawns as it needs no mowing maintenance. Although it won’t take too much foot traffic, but is okay to be walked on sometimes.
Another similar and very beautiful indigenous ground cover plant is Ivy-leaf Violet – Viola hederacea.
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