The fern-like New Zealand brass buttons plant is a great alternative to your lawn, but you might be concerned about how to grow it successfully.
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Brass buttons are feathery-looking black and green plants that are easy to plant and easy to maintain. Botanically known as Leptinella gruveri, these plants are native to New Zealand, South America and the Falkland Islands.
They can be found in open, damp places, forming a dense mat of foliage, making them perfect as a ground cover plant. The name of this creeping herbaceous perennial comes from its cluster of flowers that give it its button-like appearance.
Brass button plants in your lawn can add aesthetic appeal to your landscape. The best part? They require little maintenance and grow fast!
Overview
Types of Miniature Brass Buttons
There are a few different varieties of Leptinella plants to consider when planting out your ground cover landscape.
Platt’s Black Brass Button
This variety of Leptinella gruveri is a perfect option for planting along the edges of the pathways or between flagstones. They’ve got feathery, bronze or black foliage.
They bear miniature green flowers during the summer season. They grow perfectly in a soil that doesn’t dry out completely and when watered well, can spread out and form a dense mat.
Leptinella squalida
Forming a mass of tiny fern-like leaves, pressed tightly against each other, Leptinella squalida is a variety of brass button with a greenish bronze look. It can grow up to 2″ (5cm) tall and has evergreen foliage.
You can use this particular type to form a turf-like carpet. It can spread up to 8″ and can be grown in most types of soil. It produces yellow and green flowers in June and July.
Leptinella gruveri
If you’re looking for a filler to cover up gaps between flagstones in moist and shady areas, this is one of the best perennials to consider. It forms evergreen foliage that quickly fills gaps and helps keep the weeds at bay.
You can use it as a lawn substitute for smaller areas. Its green flowers that bloom during early and mid-summer are gorgeous but also blend in to the landscape. Be it a container, rock garden or small lawn, Leptinella gruveri can make any place it’s planted in look great.
Leptinella minor
This variety has tiny, feather-like, evergreen foliage with a deep green and bronze tinge. Leptinella minor is a kind of brass buttons plant that’s easy to grow in all sorts of soil. You’ve to keep watering it regularly to avoid the soil from drying out.
You can easily propagate it by dividing the clump and slicing them into small pieces in spring or early fall. It works very well as a ground cover for alpine trough gardens or forming a moss-like carpet in containers.
Caring for Leptinella Plants
New Zealand brass buttons plants are extremely low-maintenance. Being the perfect filler for pathways and narrow corridors, all you need to do is water them regularly and mow them regularly to avoid overgrowth.
Here’s a quick rundown on how to take care of this evergreen herbaceous groundcover.
Light
It needs a decent amount of sunlight. If you live in cooler climates, a preferable location would be somewhere that gets at least 6 hours of sunlight per day. However, in hotter climates, brass buttons tend to grow better in partially shady areas.
Water
You’ll have to water your brass buttons frequently. They’re intolerant to drought and depend on regular watering for survival. They’re shallow-rooted plants, so any period of dry soil is enough to kill them.
Soil
These plants are tolerant almost any kind of soil. However, the most critical requirement for its growth is to have well-draining soil. They prefer slightly acidic soil that’s rich in organic matter, but remain adaptable to other soil types including alkaline and neutral pH soil.
It may not grow as well in compacted, heavy clay soil. You’ll need to amend the soil before planting miniature brass buttons again.
Fertilizer
Once your plant is well-established, only then you should fertilize it. Use a half-strength, all-purpose fertilizer. You can fertilize the plant in early spring and then in early summer. Don’t worry about fall or winter fertilizing, as the growth rate slows down during those seasons.
Repotting
Repotting is easy, as they’re hardy to intensive handling. You can move them from container to container without a problem, as well as dig them up from certain areas of your yard and transplant them in others.
Propagation
Once established, these plants are crazy growers and can spread quite fast. You may want to propagate it by division, splitting up the bunches and sowing them in different locations in your yard. The best season to propagate brass buttons is spring or early fall. Make sure to space the plants 9-12” apart when sowing.
Pruning
To prevent overgrowth, thin 2-3 times per year. You can use a lawn mower for larger surfaces and pruning shears for smaller containers.
Problems
If you’re addressing their water needs and fertilizing them well, you shouldn’t have too many problems with this plant.
However, there are a few things you need to watch out for.
Growing Problems
Climate can affect plant growth. If you are living in a place that is dry, you’ll need to water brass buttons quite frequently to keep them in their original condition. Similarly, for light soils, regular watering is a must. Also, they have a tendency to spread indefinitely. You have to remain vigilant in pruning them to keep them from overtaking your garden.
Pests and Diseases
Brass buttons are generally pest-free. You’re unlikely to face any problems related to pest or diseases.
Q. Is New Zealand brass button a fern?
A. No, it has a fern-like appearance, but it’s not actually a fern.
Q. Can I grow brass buttons in a container and put in my room?
A. Yes! You can grow in a container as long as you place in an area of your house that gets bright, indirect light.
Q. How often do I need to fertilize?
A. Twice per year. Once in early spring and then in early summer using a half-strength, all-purpose fertilizer is sufficient for healthy growth
Q. It snows too much where I live. Is it okay to grow brass buttons in my lawn?
A. If you’re able to protect the leaves from snow, they’ll turn brown but will stay in place. Exposure to cold will cause the leaves to die and fall. New growth will come out in spring.
