NICE! Plant of the Month
(Wedelia hispida)
Description:
This shrubby perennial forms bushy clumps from 1 to 2 feet high. Also known as Orange Zexmenia, Rough Zexmenia, Devil’s River, Orange Daisy or Hairy Wedelia, it is covered with dainty golden yellow daisies from April into early fall. It is extremely long-lived and non-intrusive. It makes a rounded mound of yellow daisies up to a height of 2 feet in full sun, where it is fully drought-tolerant. In dappled shade, it reclines like a ground cover, blooming steadily, although not profusely. Its leaves and stems are slightly sticky and are covered with stiff hairs. The Zexmenia attracts butterflies, bees and birds as a nectar source and the feeding of larvae. Common on the Edwards Plateau and South Texas Plains into Mexico, this is an excellent xeriscape plant which deserves to be used more in the cultivated garden.
Deer Resistance:
Deer and cattle will eat the coarsely-toothed leaves.
Planting Sites:
Zexmenia can grow in sand, loam, clay, caliche, or limestone. The soil needs to be well drained, though. Plant in dappled shade, part shade or full sun about two feet apart.
Planting Instructions:
Dig a hole at least two times wider than, but the same depth as the root ball in the nursery container. Sides of the hole should be irregular, not smooth. Remove plant from container, taking care to support the root ball. Loosen exterior roots gently with fingers. If the plant is root-bound, the outer roots may be cut in several places if they cannot be loosened by hand. Lift the plant by the root ball and place it in the hole. Backfill using soil that was dug from the hole. Do not add any soil to the top of the root ball, but a thin layer of compost may be spread over the soil surface. Gently firm the soil with hands, but do not tamp. Place 3-4 inches of mulch over the bare soil around the plant, but not touching the base of the plant.
Watering Instructions:
After planting, water the plant well in order to thoroughly soak its roots. An organic-based root stimulator may be used following instructions on the product label. Repeat watering a few days after planting, then every 7-10 days, as needed, during the first growing season. Check moisture an inch or two into soil at the edge of the rootball to determine soil moisture. Skip a watering after a rainfall of ½ to 1 inch. Maintain this watering schedule until the first fall. Reduce watering during fall and winter. In a “normal” year, no watering may be necessary during fall and winter, but during a dry period, monthly watering may be needed. From the second spring and thereafter, water monthly only in periods of drought. Do not over water Zexmenia once established.
Propagation Instructions:
Zexmenia can be propagated through stem cuttings or from sowing seeds after last frost. Bag seedheads to capture ripening seed. Allow seedheads to dry on the plants, then remove and collect. Seeds do not store well, so sow seeds as soon as possible after collection.
NICE! Tip:
The flowers are good for cutting, drying and preserving.
Look for the NICE! Plant of the Month signs and information sheets on your next visit to a participating Boerne nursery. And thank you for supporting native plants by using them in your landscapes.