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 wildly fast and is a bit overgrown. We often call it "purse grass"; its round little leaves look a bit like those of pennywort. In fact, pull up a handful, pot it at home, and when it fills the pot it looks quite beautiful too!

Purse grass is actually also a traditional Chinese 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 swollen toxins, bruises and injuries, venomous snake bites, etc.

Key points for caring for potted purse grass

Purse grass 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 well in a semi-shady, humid environment. But for it to grow lush and emerald green, light is also very important, because purse grass has many leaves, and the more fully it receives light, the better it can maintain vigorous growth.

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

2. Because purse grass has many leaves and grows relatively quickly, its water consumption is high, so it must be watered in time. Normally, keep the potting soil moist at all times and avoid water shortage as much as possible. Generally, in hot weather and high summer temperatures, 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 wash the leaves, making the leaf color even fresher and greener.

3. Although purse grass itself grows very fast, it also relatively likes fertilizer, especially nitrogen fertilizer, so normally it needs timely topdressing with nitrogen fertilizer, but note that the fertilizer should be applied thinly, and after each topdressing, water heavily in time, which can reduce the risk of fertilizer burn.

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

There is one more point: purse grass simply grows too fast and easily becomes messy and disorderly, so proper pruning is needed to give it a good-looking shape!