Pronounciation: Psi-lo-STRO-fe COO-per-i

Hardiness zones
Sunset 11-13
USDA 8-11

Landscape Use: Desert landscape and/or rock gardens or dry meadows, flowering accent for desert gardens. Great in smaller spaces in close proximity to close inspection; nice dried flower blossoms turn papery and keep their yellow color.

Form & Character: Erect and spreading = rounded, bushy, cheerful, delicate.

Growth Habit: Evergreen, short-lived mostly herbaceous perennial subshrub, moderate growth rate to 2 feet in height spreading to 2 feet in width.

Foliage/Texture: Thin almost linear grayish leaves to 2-inches long, sessile; medium fine texture.

Flowers & Fruits: Flowers profusely on terminal stalks, 8- to 12-inches long; flowers 5-petaled and open faced, fruit inconspicuous.

Seasonal Color: Yellow blooms throughout most of the year, more heavily in spring and fall. Flowers are persistent on the plant, thus the common name paper flower.

Temperature: Tolerant

Light: Full sun

Soil: Tolerant, except needs good drainage.

Watering: Irrigate infrequently during summer to maintain robust appearance.

Pruning: Lightly head back during late summer or fall.

Propagation: Seed

Disease and Pests: None

Additional comments: White stem paperflower is a surprisingly tough and consistent grower in xeric garden situations. Psilostrophe tagetina (wooly paper flower) is very similar in appearance, but has somewhat ovate to lanceolate shaped leaves giving it a slightly coarser textural appearance.

Toxicity warning: As range plants, Psilostrope species are toxic to livestock, especially sheep. The toxic agent is a sesquiter-pene lactone. Plants are generally more toxic when young that when mature.