What Is the Difference Between Pennywort and Dichondra? A Quick Guide to Telling Them Apart

The names pennywort and dichondra differ by only one character, and many people easily confuse them. So, what is the difference between pennywort and dichondra?

1. Difference in family and genus

Dichondra belongs to the family Convolvulaceae and the genus Dichondra, and is also called jaundice grass, lotus-bud grass, meat wonton grass, and small moneywort; it is a perennial creeping small herbaceous plant with a relatively slender stem;

Pennywort belongs to the family Apiaceae and the genus Hydrocotyle, and is also called coin grass, round coin grass, and mushroom grass; it is a perennial emergent or hygrophytic herbaceous plant, with a plant height of about 5cm-15cm. The two do not belong to the same family or genus, so they differ essentially.

2. Different leaves

The leaf of dichondra has a notch on one end, and in shape it looks rather like a horse's hoof, not purely round;

The leaf of pennywort is a complete circle with no notch on it, so the two can be accurately distinguished by this leaf feature.

3. Different habits

Dichondra prefers a warm, humid climate. It is not only highly adaptable, with strong competitiveness and invasiveness and vigorous vitality, but also has a certain tolerance to trampling. It is not very demanding about soil, and as long as drainage conditions are moderate, it can be planted in both sandy loam and clay. It mostly grows under sparse forests, at forest edges and on hillsides, roadsides, riverbanks, river beaches and shady wet grassland, mostly growing in clusters and distributed in patches. Dichondra has a growth habit of liking both light and shade, and has strong resistance to disease and pollution;

Pennywort prefers warm and humid conditions. For cultivation, a spot with partial sun or shade is best, and direct sunlight should be avoided. There are no strict requirements for the growing soil; soft, well-draining soil is best, or it can be grown directly in water. The optimum water temperature is 22-28 degrees. It is shade-tolerant, moisture-tolerant, slightly drought-tolerant, highly adaptable, robust by nature, easy to plant, and quick to propagate, and it can grow both in water and on land.