The Dichondra argentea ‘Silver Falls’ is a top-notch trailing perennial, highly valued for its beautiful, year-round silvery foliage and incredibly graceful habit. It’s a sensational plant for adding contrast and texture to any space. The plant forms a dense mat of soft, velvety, fan-shaped leaves in a striking, silvery-grey colour. It gets its name from its spectacular ability to cascade like a waterfall when planted in an elevated position, with stems reaching up to a metre or more in length.
Caring for Your ‘Silver Falls’
- Growing Conditions: This tough plant performs best in full sun, which encourages the most intense silvery-white colour on its leaves. It can tolerate partial shade, but the foliage may be greener. It needs well-draining soil and is happy in the ground or in pots. It is also quite tolerant of coastal conditions and heat.
- Watering: Water regularly while the plant is establishing. Once settled, it’s fairly drought-tolerant. However, for the lushest appearance, give it a good, deep water during long, dry periods, allowing the soil to dry slightly between waterings.
- Feeding: To encourage vigorous growth, give it a feed with a slow-release, general-purpose fertiliser in spring and again in late summer.
- Pruning: Pruning is simple. If the plant becomes too long or sparse, a light trim will encourage a dense, bushier flush of growth.
Usage in the Garden
‘Silver Falls’ is a versatile plant that truly excels when its trailing habit is put to use. It is a fantastic choice for hanging baskets, window boxes, and large pots, where its foliage can gracefully spill over the edges. It also works brilliantly as a dense, silver ground cover, adding a beautiful, soft contrast against green foliage or coloured pavers in a dry garden bed.
