This is a very fast growing annual that is native to Texas and loves the Texas heat.
It blooms for a long period of time up till frost, and puts a bright splash of yellow in the summer garden, when many other plants give up. This plant should be used more, becuase it is so pretty and reliable.
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/59964/index.html
That's very pretty Josephine! What does the entire plant look like? Is it a "weed"?
Well, there goes that question again, I guess you could say it is a wildflower that grows like a weed, but it is lovely, unfortunately I dont have a picture of the whole plant.
I have some coming up so i will post a picture of the whole plant as soon as it is ready.
lol... I said "weed" like that because I know there are many things that we don't consider weeds! Wildflower is the word I was actually looking for! I'm wondering if it is tall and lanky or if it's a small plant. Where will it go in my garden? :)
It is usually about two feet tall, and makes a nice mounding shrub.
Ahhhhh, good ol' dependable Verbesina encelioides. That is one terrific re-seeder! I admit I actually have one plant in one of my beds this year.
I'm curious--are there any cultivated varieties of this Verbesina? The seed for my plant came from a wildflower in a horsepen--which I much prefer to visiting cowpens, lol. :-}
Verbesina e. is a good host plant for the Chlosyne caterpillars.
Thank you for the additional info about the caterpillars, Paige will be very happy about that. I don't know of any other varieties.
Josephine.
Caterpillars? Oh yes, I'm interested! So Chlosyne appears to be Checkerspots, but what kind? They are probably very small ones too.
Kenya, do you have pics of the whole plant? I don't want to go to horse or cowpens to get them tho! lol
The Cowpen Daisy is one of the listed plants for the Bordered Patch butterfly (small butterfly, but pretty!), along with common sunflowers and Zexmenia. I've had them use my Zexmenia, which are fairly numerous on my property. You might be able to get seed for Cowpen Daisy at Native American Seed, http://www.seedsource.com/
Paige, I have some potted plants that you can have right now, if it can be arranged.
Hi Paige,
The Verbesina in my bed is not yet blooming. Too much shade in that particular bed at this point in the year, I believe. It typically blooms for me in my yard closer to and during the fall. The horse pen plants that the seed was collected from *are* blooming and I will happily try to remember to take the camera to get a pic of the entire plant when I feed my horse today.
Also, I can't say that I have ever seen the Verbesina as a nice mounding shrub. I am not saying that it doesn't grow that way, I am just saying I have never seen it that way. Mostly the plants I have seen are tall and lanky--3 feet or more in height. That's why I asked about the existence of cultivated varieties.
Anyway, I will work on getting a pic of an entire plant/group of plants for you today. If you (or anyone) wants Verbesina seed , I have access to *plenty* of it, pretty much year 'round.
Here is Verbesina in a horse pen.
Verbesina foliage:
This is one of the Chlosyne butterflies I saw feeding today. There was another smaller, different Chlosyne present also, but it wouldn't hold still long enough for me to get its picture.
Hill, those are very nice healthy plants, they seem to grow bigger when they are close to all that manure. The butterfly is very pretty too, you are so sweet to put the pictures up.
Josephine.
LOL, Josephine, how polite you are! Yes, it appears the environment the Verbesina grows in definitely has an affect on the size, shape and even perhaps the blooms of the plant. It does seem to prefer the disturbed, manure-laden soils. :-)
The Verbesina blooms you first posted at the top of this thread I believe are *much* prettier than any I have ever seen. Do you fertilize yours in any manner whatsoever? And if I may I ask, what type of soil do you have them planted in?
Kenya
Hi Kenya, nice to know your name.
They were growing in organically ammended soil, I usually only use compost and compost tea. I have been an organic gardener for over 30 years, but gardening with Texas natives the last 8 years.
I imagine with your horse manure you can make some wonderful compost yourself.
My soil used to be horrible goopey clay, but with all these years of composting it is now loose and beautiful.
I love both the Texas native plants, and organic gardening, they are wonderful pursuits
that lead to a lot of joy.
Josephine.
Thanks to this thread, I think that I have an ID for a yellow flowering plant that grows in abundance on my place. Everything seems to fit the pictures I have researched on the Cowpen Daisy-----blooms, seeds, leaf form and color. Here's a couple of pictures. Does this look like Cowpen Daisy (Verbesina encelioides) to any of you knowledgable wildflower folks?
Here's another photo along the edge of a garden area, but it comes up volunteer in a wide variety of locations.
It ceartainly is Cowpen Daisy, and you sure have lots of it, I hope you like it, I think it is adorable. Thank you for posting the pictures.
Josephine.
Thanks, Josephine. I do have a lot of it growing and it is hardy in the hot West Texas sun. Heck, now that I know what it is I may give it a little more respect and start collecting some seeds!
I would love to have some seeds. I have areas of my garden that get hot sun and I like planting things there that do not need much help
Renatelynne, I will save some seed for you and whoever wants it.
Your yard looks very nice and naturalistic, like a natural Texas landscape.
Josephine.
Thanks Frostweed, That is what I've been trying for.
Thank you Josephine, but I don't think I'm ready for one just yet. Maybe at the swap?
Thanks to this thread I've actually seen this plant and noticed it. We were going to my brother's to swim today and were driving past some type of horse stables and there they were in the pens, these grayish green plants with yellow flowers. I meant to look closer on the way back and forgot but will do it on the next trip.
Well there you are, isn't it great when we discover something new?
I will try to save you a plant for the swap, but remember they are annuals, but the seed will let you get then started next year.
Native plants are so fun!!!
Josephine.
