Pennywort (Hydrocotyle bonariensis) is a long-lived, creeping herb. It can be identified by its clusters of smooth, kidney-shaped leaves. The herb grows small pink and purple flowers and fruits that split into seeded segments when mature.
This species is widespread in coastal districts and is naturalised along the coast of the south of Australia, including the Sydney area, NSW south coast, Victoria, the ACT and some parts of south-west Western Australia. Pennywort prefers sandy or skeletal soils and is often seen stabilising sand dunes.
Pennywort is a common weed of grasslands, lawns, gardens, and disturbed sites. Its creeping growth pattern allows it to quickly overrun your lawn and makes it difficult to remove completely in the first attempt.
This weed spreads via its creeping stems as well as by seeding. Wherever the plants stems meet the ground the plant can grow and its seeds are spread by water and contaminated soil.
Removal of this weed can be tricky and needs to be followed up a few times to ensure it has been done correctly. Its waxy leaves do not absorb herbicide easily, and its deep roots make it difficult to dig up.
When manually removing the weed ensure you have removed as much of the weed as possible, and there are no pieces of the stem remaining on your lawn as the plant can reroot from fragments of its stem. Due to its deep root system it is important to keep an eye on the removal site to ensure the plant doesn’t pop up again.
When working with this plant it is a better idea to use chemical removal methods as it will kill the plants root system. When working with chemicals it is best to leave it to the professionals to avoid killing your entire lawn. Get in contact to learn more about our weed prevention and removal services!