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Dymondia margaretae
Dymondia margaretae is commonly known as "Silver Carpet" because its leaf color is a blue grey on top, and a silvery sheen on the underside. It is sometimes called Mini Gazania because at a glance, the color is similar, though it's growth is totally compact in comparison. It grows very tight to the ground (1'-1.5")and can be used in low traffic areas as a lawn substitute. It is also great as a filler between flagstone, boulders, and pavers. It makes a great accent to the rock garden. It does produce tiny yellow daisy-like flowers in the summer, but it is not a bee magnet like so many of the Iceplants such as the "Red Apple" Aptenia cordifolia" that dominates this position in the Mediterranean landscape of Southern California.
As a Groundcover, Dymondia has so many advantages over the currently popular species, that it is sure to take off in popularity and become a rival for the top position in a Mediterranean Landscape over the next decade. Once established, it becomes a barrier for all but the stubbornest weeds, yet it makes a great host to many bulbs such as the Amaryllids and Hyacinths. Unlike Iceplant, when planted on slopes, it can be walked on without putting you on your butt. The leafs actually have a grip when walked on that aid in traction compared to the slippery juice that pops out of your typical Iceplant type Groundcover that becomes a "slip and slide" as you traverse a covered slope.
Dymondia has deep roots. Most Iceplants have meager root systems and spread over the ground without digging in. "Red Apple" for example can be picked up to reveal "strings" that are ten feet or more without a root in the ground. This allows them to grow and cover rocks, fence, roads, there isn't much they won't creep over and cover given enough time. Dymondia on the other hand has an extensive root system. It will dive its roots up to two feed into the ground. Dymondia stores its reserves in the ground, not in its leaves. it produces fat carrot like taproots that store moisture and nutrients. These deep roots were developed to anchor the plant in the sifting coastal dunes of South Africa, and because of this characteristic, it is very effective and creating ground stability and preventing erosion. It will not climb or crawl more than a few inches past a point where it can sink its roots, so you won't have to battle it to keep things under control. It a slow to medium speed grower and will take longer to establish than some other Groundcovers, but once established, this means lower maintenance. It well is worth the wait.
It grows well in most soil conditions. It thrives in low nutrient loamy soil, but also loves a high organic compost. It can even grow with it's roots partially submerged, and is becoming a popular terrarium/paludarium plant, as well as a Bonsai understory. It is difficult to find a place this stuff won't grow. It prefers full sun or partial shade, but it will still grow in full shade (though less compact and a little taller than in full sun) Once established, it is very drought tolerant and can survive year round without supplemental water in all but the driest climates. Supplemental irrigation in the summer months will be welcomed and make it the most attractive. Dymondia will tell you when it needs water. Under drought conditions, the leafs begin to curl, showing the silver underside, which visibly changes the overall color of the "carpet" Dymondia looks it's best in full sun with regular water in the hot summer months, but will survive serious drought and quickly recover when moisture finally comes.
My decision to grow Dymondia came after my extensive search to find it in anything other than small and expensive quantities. Currently it is not well known, and grown by only a few specialty growers. After struggling to find it in quantity, I decided to propagate my purchase rather than put it all in the ground as intended. I originally purchased my Dymondia in flats that were poorly grown out. Looking down at them, there was more dirt visible than Dymondia. I grew on the flats and intended to divide and grow more flats. I had a discussion on the species with plant Guru Randy Baldwin of San Marcos Growers (one of the few people offering the plant) and he suggested I try growing it in gallons rather than flats. This was really a great tip, as I soon realized.
I planted some small divisions into one gallon's, and planted others in flats. After a few weeks, I noticed that the one gallon plants, were not spreading as quickly as the ones in flats, but they were showing significantly less watering requirements. I was actually disappointed in the performance of the Dymondia in the flats as it required quite a bit of water to keep it from showing signs of stress.... After a month, I saw good growth in the flats compared to the gallons, but the water requirements were every day compared to once or twice a week. Further inspection revealed that though the Dymondia in the gallons hadn't spread on the surface, the roots were growing out the bottom of the pots.... Once the one gallon pots filled with roots, the foliage growth turned on and started to grow on par with the flats, while still requiring much less water.
The flats were originally on a weed barrier, so I moved some of them directly onto soil, and the roots quickly grew through the bottom of the flats. Once they grew into the soil, the water requirements quickly diminished until this group of flats eventually required even less than the one gallon planted specimens.. This shows just how much this plant needs roots to establish its self, and why one gallon's represent a much better product than flats.
Growing the flats into the soil is a great way to quickly get a nice flat, but once you have to pull it up, the removal of all the root material puts you right back in the same situation as the flats grown on a weed barrier. To plant these out is going to require re establishment of the root system and a lot more water until this is accomplished.
I compared planting out flats to gallons in the ground and the results were dramatic. Taking a one gallon pot that has foliage growing over the edge all around, I divided the gallons into five or six sections, keeping the six to seven inch roots intact. I also planted out complete one gallon pots for comparison, along with well grown flats (air pruned roots as you would buy in a nursery)
The whole one gallon plants required very little water. I planted them in March, and it took four weeks for the plant to show any signs of hydration stress. The gallon size divisions planted at the same time showed stress after 10 days, and the divisions from the flats, showed stress after only three days. Further study showed that the flat divisions required water every day or other day for nearly a month before it got to the same point as the divisions from the gallon pots, and it took more than two months to show the same performance of the complete one gallons on the day they were planted.
To sum it up, planting Dymondia out of flats requires much more water to establish. Planting it out of gallons provides a one to three month growth start advantage, and a significant reduction in watering. requirements Further growing out studies show that over a six month period, that three one gallon pots divided into five or six pieces significantly outperforms a flat for grown in coverage and watering requirements.
Last fall, I decided to grow this plant out on a commercial scale and test the market. I hope that as many people fall in love with it as I have. Beginning June 2008, I will have a production capacity of 500 one gallon containers per week. They will be grown out so that the roots are coming out the bottom and the foliage is growing over the top. Significantly reduced contract pricing will be available.
Allen Repashy