Silver Pony Foot (Dichondra argentea) is a striking, low-growing desert native that creates a shimmering, metallic carpet in the hottest, driest corners of your landscape.

Native to the rocky Chihuahuan Desert of West Texas, southern New Mexico, and Arizona, Silver Pony Foot forms a dense, trailing mat of small, kidney-shaped leaves covered in fine silver hairs. These reflective hairs aren't just for show—they bounce away intense sunlight and trap moisture, allowing this tough groundcover to cascade over stone walls or fill dry garden beds with virtually zero supplemental water.

Key Features:

• Distinctive Silver Foliage: Densely hairy, coin-shaped leaves create a shimmering silver-white mat that brightens hot, dry landscapes all season long.
• Built for Desert Conditions: Native to the Chihuahuan Desert, it handles intense heat, rocky soil, and limited water with ease.
• Cascading Groundcover: Trailing stems spread 12–36 inches wide while growing just 2–4 inches tall, making it equally brilliant spilling over stone walls, rock gardens, or xeriscape borders.
• Living Weed Barrier: Forms a dense, moisture-conserving mat that naturally suppresses weeds without competing for resources.
• Deer and Pest Resistant: Dense, hairy foliage is unappealing to deer and most browsing animals.
• Year-Round Appeal: Attractive silver foliage from spring through fall; semi-evergreen in mild winters.
• Eco-Friendly: Grown non-GMO and neonicotinoid-free to ensure a healthy ecosystem for your local wildlife.

At the time of shipment, our plants have a developed root mass and emerging foliage. This species ships with less than 4" of foliage, making it one of our smaller perennial wildflowers.

Why Choose Silver Pony Foot?

While grown primarily for its luminous foliage, Silver Pony Foot serves a crucial structural role in native ecosystems. Its dense, low-growing weave acts as a "living mulch," protecting delicate soil biology, preventing erosion on slopes, and providing sheltered micro-climates for ground-dwelling beneficial insects, predatory beetles, and native sweat bees.

Planting Tips:

1. Location: Plant in full sun to light shade in sharply drained, dry, rocky, or sandy soil. Tolerates high-alkaline caliche and lean, nutrient-poor conditions. Requires exceptional drainage—avoid low, soggy spots.
2. Watering: Water regularly during the first growing season to establish roots. Once established, it tolerates occasional dry spells.
3. Maintenance: Minimal care required. There's no need to deadhead the flowers, as allowing them to go to seed provides a valuable food source for birds. Leaving the stems standing in the fall offers overwintering sites for beneficial insects. If desired, cut back the stems in late spring after pollinators have emerged.

For more information on planting, view our How to Plant Your Native Plants guide and other planting tips in the Garden for Wildlife Learning Center.

Add the unique, shimmering texture of Silver Pony Foot to your garden—a resilient native groundcover that rewards you with a lush silver mat all season long while creating vital habitat for soil life and beneficial insects.

Shipping Range:

• TX

Zip Code Verification: Our plants are grown regionally to thrive where you live and help local wildlife. Confirm availability for your area using the zip code checker near the add to cart button above.

Returns: Due to the nature of our products, we are unable to offer order cancellations, returns or exchanges. In order to guarantee your satisfaction, all plants are covered by our Plant Guarantee.

*To ensure your plants arrive healthy, we may delay shipments to certain areas during times of extreme temperatures, natural disasters, or other conditions that will impact the plants during transit

Sizing: At the time of shipment, our plants have a developed root mass and emerging foliage. This species ships with less than 4" of foliage, making it one of our smaller perennial wildflowers.

Recommended container sizes (in width) for container planting:

• 12 In
• 18 In
• 24 In
• 36 In
• 48 In