Hymenoxys acaulis is now recognized as Tetraneuris acaulis or Angelita Daisy. "Acaulis" refers to the fact that this plant has no stem. Flowers arise directly out of a base of needle-like thin leaves. Flowering stems have no leaves, just a thin stalk with a golden daisy on top waving in the wind. The stalk of this member of the Asteraceae Family is about 12 inches tall. The grassy base of foliage gradually increases in width as it grows. This plant blooms year-around with these cheerful yellow daisy flowers that are popular with pollinating insects. Photo below of a fly nectaring on a flower. The flowers are flat and dense and easy for the tiniest pollinator to land on and feed. The bright golden yellow flowers are visible for a long distance. I really like this plant because it is so easy and gives so much back. The flowers are non-stop and it really loves heat, but not too much heat. Extended periods of 100 degree days can shorten the life of this native plant. It is hardy down to zero degrees Fahrenheit. It is very drought tolerant but appreciates a little water occasionally.
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| Tetraneuris acaulis bloom with fly S. Reeve |
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| Tetraneuris acaulis S. Reeve |
This plant can really cover itself with blooms. After the flower fades the stalk is left. To neaten it up deadhead the spent stalks when they become numerous and noticeable.
This plant is native to the western half of the US with the exception of Oregon and Washington. Depending on the location, there are 5 highly variable subspecies of this plant. California and the Southwest is home to Tetraneuris acaulis var. arizonica (Tetraneuris acaulis (Pursh) Greene var. arizonica (Greene) K.F. Parker). This plant is found at 1300-2900m in grasslands and hillsides. The California population is found in and around the Mojave National Preserve. I am always fascinated by the adaptations a plant makes for its environment. In this case, compared to Tetraneuris acaulis, Tetraneuris acaulis var. arizonica is stockier and covered in downy hairs and the foliage appears silvery-gray rather than green. The flowers and foliage are more substantial and fleshy. Increased sunshine and less precipitation make this version better adapted to life in the Southwest.
As is the case for so many Southwestern natives, this plant must have good drainage to survive. It becomes susceptible to fungal infection if drainage is less-than-ideal. The literature says this a short-lived perennial. I haven't grown it long enough to know if this is true, although, it seems that perennials that bloom constantly poop out faster than plants that don't.
Angelita Daisy combines well with other plants. As an example, here is Eremophila hygrophana with another desert daisy, Baileya multiradiata, but this could easily be Tetraneuris acaulis. You can also combine it with smaller Leucophyllum selections, Salvia greggii, Agastaches, Eremophila maculata 'Valentine', native Calliandras, Hesperaloe parviflora etc. It would also be nice to plant a mass of this plant. It is rabbit resistant.
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| Eremophila hygrophana and Baileya multiradiata S. Reeve |
