The Low-Growing Perennial That Looks Stunning In Hanging Baskets

Although many gardeners like to fill their hanging baskets with bright and colorful flowers, there's something to be said about a basket overflowing with lush greenery that requires minimal care and still looks fantastic. As all that growth cascades down over the edges of the basket, it's reminiscent of a waterfall and adds a certain lush flair to your backyard or your porch. If you're keen to create this kind of aesthetic in your own yard, look to low-growing perennials that are normally used as ground covers because these work exceptionally well in hanging baskets. One plant of particular interest is the kidney weed (Dichondra spp.).

One of the most popular kidney weed species (Dichondra repens) is often grown as a ground cover in its native country of Australia and other parts of the world that don't experience very cold winters. It's also often grown as a gorgeous no-mow lawn in warmer regions. It has tiny green kidney-shaped leaves and spreads easily along the ground, making it absolutely perfect for growing in hanging baskets, as all that foliage looks stunning when it trails over the edges of the pot. There are two interesting cultivars that are particularly well-suited to this, and they are Dichondra argentea 'Silver Falls' and Dichondra repens 'Emerald Falls'. Both varieties will grow happily in a hanging basket that's exposed either to full sun or part shade. They're also drought-tolerant and prefer good drainage, which is another plus for growing them in containers. While kidney weed grows outdoors as a perennial in USDA Hardiness Zones 7 through 11, in colder regions, you'll be happy to know that you can grow both 'Emerald Falls' and 'Silver Falls' indoors. 

Whether you decide on the bright green leaves of 'Emerald Falls' or the shimmery foliage of 'Silver Falls', both varieties will fill your hanging basket with stunning growth quite quickly. As the stems grow and branch, they'll cover the soil in the basket and start to cascade their way down over the edge. You'll also find that those kidney-shaped leaves are quite whimsical and create a lush hanging mat of greenery. To add to the allure, the plants produce tiny white or yellow-green flowers in spring. Although these are somewhat insignificant, they do add a little color to the display. You can even add kidney weed to a large mixed hanging basket as the "spiller". The stems can trail down and continue to grow, often reaching a length of up to 6 feet in just one growing season, which makes it perfect for pairing with petunias and million bells as a stunning hanging basket flower combo that can thrive in intense heat.

These plants are not all that difficult to care for and will grace you with their stunning beauty without asking too much in return. You don't even need to tip-prune them in the beginning to get them to fill out. What you do need to ensure is that you water your hanging pots regularly and consistently. As long as your basket has good drainage, keeping the soil relatively moist is ideal. If kidney weed doesn't receive enough moisture, you can end up with dried stems and leaves, which can ruin the overall look of your hanging plants.