Heterotheca Species, Camphor Daisy, Camphorweed, Golden Aster

This plant is taking over our pasture where the horses grazed. Granted, the horrible months long and infamous drought we had a few years ...Read Moreago played a huge part in that. The goats will eat it but, for the number of those that I care to have, they cannot keep up with it due to the vast amount of airborne seeds it produces. I am a native plant lover but I do not consider this a pretty plant at all. It's rather gangly looking and its roots are stubborn so it's hard to pull up like I do with the Texas Groundsel, a noxious yellow blooming weed. For landscaping and gardening purposes, there are far more truly attractive native yellow flowers to choose from in my opinion.

Even though I admit it can be attractive if kept pruned for a better flowering show, I still think of this plant as a weed. It does well...Read More in my yard if I don't pull it up early, and mostly is a roadside and disturbed areas weed in Florida. It is probably native to sandhill woodlands, sand dunes, and sandy prairies, in low densities, and has expanded to flourish in disturbed areas. With the splitting of Chrysopsis and Pityopsis as separate genera, this is the only species of Heterotheca in the southeastern United States.

Common names: Golden Aster, Camphor Daisy
Considered a weed by many, but admired by native plant enthusiasts.

The r...Read Moreough and usually toothed leaves emit a strong camphor aroma when crushed or disturbed and are sticky due to the hairs being gland-tipped. Cut the plant to a low level in late summer and it will keep blooming until the first frost or even later providing mounds of golden yellow blooms. Ranchers really dislike this plant because it is not grazed by livestock. I assume it is deer resistant.