Dichondra carolinensis Michx.

Carolina Pony's Foot

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Carolina Pony’s Foot is a native herbaceous perennial in the Morning-Glory family (Convolvulaceae). It occurs throughout Alabama. Carolina Pony’s Foot occurs in lawns, on roadsides, in roadside ditches, in pastures, in cemeteries, and in open woodlands. It is a perennial with thin, prostrate and creeping stems rooting at the nodes. The stems are glabrous or pubescent. Leaves are alternate, petiolate, orbiculate to reniform in outline, with entire margins. The blade is pubescent with fine soft appressed hairs. Flowers are campanulate in shape and solitary on a straight peduncle from the axils of the leaves. Each flower has 5 obovate or spatulate sepals that are green in color and pubescent. The 5 petals are greenish yellow, or white in color. The fruit is a 2-lobed capsule. Carolina Pony’s Foot is occasionally available from nurseries that specialize in native plants. It can be used as a ground cover in moist sandy locations, as a replacement for a traditional grass lawn, or as a low-growing filler between paving stones. Carolina Pony’s Foot can be aggressive in certain situations and is often regarded as a weed in lawns and nurseries.--A. Diamond.

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Native FACW- (NWPL)

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