Scientific: Tetraneuris acaulis
(Synonym: Hymenoxys acaulis)
Common: Angelita daisy
Family: Asteraceae
Origin: Widespread across western United States and into
Saskatchewan, many recognized clinal variants.
Pronounciation: Te-tra-ne-UR-is a-ca-UL-is
Hardiness zones
Sunset 7-13, 18-21
USDA 7-11
Landscape Use: Border edging, flowering accent, xeriscape, small intimate desert gardens. Most attractive when planted in mass at about 18 inches on center.
Form & Character: Densely tufting, free flowering, vulnerable.
Growth Habit: Evergreen, herbaceous, short-lived perennial with a compact and basal branching habit to 10-inches tall with a spread of up to 18-inches wide.
Foliage/Texture: Small, linear, glabrous to 2-inches long, some abaxial pubescence; very fine texture.
Flowers & Fruits: Bright yellow ray flowers to 1-inch across on a 12-inches tall scape. Fruits are fuzzy achenes (one seed attached to inside of ovary at one point) about 1/8-inch long. Senescent fruit stalks are unsightly.
Seasonal Color: Yellow flowers throughout the year; however, most prolific during winter and spring.
Temperature: Hardy to 0oF, but struggles in mid-summer when daytime temperatures are consistently above 107oF.
Light: Full sun
Soil: Well-drained soils are needed.
Watering: Apply water on a regular intervals, but allow to dry in between water applications.
Pruning: None
Propagation: Seed
Disease and Pests: Basal fungal root rot in poorly drained soil is common.
Additional comments: Commercially introduced as a landscape
perennial to the Phoenix area in the 1990's. Has a relatively significant taproot and will not transplant. In the end it seems to only last about 3 to 4 years in Phoenix landscapes because of heat sensitivities.
Botanical tidbits: The species name, acaulis
means without a stem. This plant was first described by Frederick Pursh (1774-1815).