Pull up a handful of roadside weeds, take them home and pot them, give them a little water and they grow like crazy and fill the pot beautifully

The scientific name of this weed is Dichondra repens, or you can see a large patch of it along the roadside you walk past. It has the characteristics of a weed, that is, it grows insanely fast and is a bit invasive. We often call it "Hebaocao" (purse grass). Its round little leaves look a bit like those of the pennywort. In fact, pull up a handful, take it home and pot it, and when it fills the pot it looks really beautiful too!

Hebaocao is actually also a kind of Chinese herbal medicine. It is a perennial herb, often growing prostrate along the ground, with a well-developed root system and rapid growth. It has the effects of clearing heat, draining dampness and detoxifying. It is often used for jaundice, dysentery, edema, boils and sores, bruises and injuries, venomous snake bites, etc.

Key care points for potted Hebaocao

Hebaocao can be grown as a large potted plant, and when it fills the pot it is very spectacular.

1. It has a certain tolerance for shade and moisture, so it can grow very well in a semi-shaded, humid environment. But to make it grow lush and emerald green, light is also very important, because Hebaocao has many leaves, and the more fully it receives light, the better it can maintain vigorous growth.

However, note that in the hot and blazing midsummer season, appropriate shading is also needed, so as to avoid its tender leaves being withered by the sun.

2. Because Hebaocao has many leaves and grows relatively quickly, its water consumption is high, so you must water it in time. Normally, keep the potting soil moist at all times and avoid water shortage as much as possible. Generally, in summer when the weather is hot and the temperature is high, you can water once a day or once every other day.

When the air is too dry, we can also spray more water to keep it moist, and at the same time it can clean the leaves, making the leaf color even fresher and greener.

3. Although Hebaocao itself grows very fast, it also quite likes fertilizer, especially nitrogen fertilizer, so normally you need to apply nitrogen fertilizer to it in time, but be careful to apply diluted fertilizer, and after each topdressing, water heavily in time, which can reduce the risk of fertilizer burn.

However, note that topdressing should be stopped under high-temperature conditions in summer.

There is one more thing: Hebaocao simply grows too fast and easily becomes messy and disordered, so proper pruning is needed to give it a good-looking shape!