Dymondia margaretae is a great drought tolerant ground cover from South Africa.
DESCRIPTION
2″ tall, carpet like ground cover, silver-green, yellow flowers.
Stands up to pedestrian traffic, does not need to be mowed.
USES
Perfect for parkways and between pavers on garden paths. Can also be used a lawn replacement.
SUN
Full to partial
SOIL
Prefers sandy, avoid heavy soils (NOTE: I am growing this in Echo Park where they soil is a moderately heavy clay. I replaced the top 3-4 inches with a ligher soil and have had good luck so far.)
WATER
Very drought tolerant, has deep roots. May need additional water in climates with intense heat
We used Dymondia in 2010 on a series of wide parkways in Santa Monica. Note that it is planted from flats, with clumps of the plant laid out on a grid. The Dymondia spreads out over time. Within 1-2 years the entire bed should be evenly covered with Dymondia.
Here is an image of a Dymondia “lawn” completely grown in.
I used sections of Dymondia on my parkway, alternating with areas of succulents.
Would love to see an image of this now. I am in Highland park and got the green light from LADWP to pull up my turf.