Tetraneuris

( tet - rah - NUR - iss )

At-A-Glance Information

Also known alternatively under the botanical name Hymenoxys, this genus includes perennial flowers that need full sun and little to moderate water to perform and bloom well. These plants have taproots and produce aromatic green leaves. Tetraneuris form foliage tufts to about 8 inches tall (for most garden species) and a foot wide, and have yellow flowers that bloom during the warmer months of the year. Great in pots, these cheerful flowers can be encouraged to bloom over an even longer season through deadheading. They are tolerant of cold, heat, and drought conditions and are considered to be easy to care for. Take care when planting these flowers in the landscape, as they can be toxic to cattle and sheep.

Tetraneuris Species and Varietals

The genus Tetraneuris is a member of the plant family Asteraceae and includes nine species. The genus name is derived from the Greek words 'tetra' (meaning four) and 'neuron' (meaning nerve). The best growing zones for Tetraneuris vary depending on the species. For more information, see the descriptions below. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Tetraneuris acaulis (Angelita Daisy, Stemless Four-Nerve Daisy, Stemless Hymenoxys, Butte Marigold, Stemless Rubberweed)
This species is best in zones 1-3, 7-14 and 18-24. It is native to plains and meadowlands from Canada down through Texas. Flowers are golden yellow and bloom atop stems that reach a foot tall.

Tetraneuris herbacea (Eastern Fournerved Daisy, Lakeside Daisy, Fournerved Starflower, Manitoulin Gold)
These plants are endemic to the Great Lakes region of North America, and are threatened with extinction due to habitat loss. These perennials produce green leaves and yellow flowers, and reach between 3 and 14 inches tall when mature.

Tetraneuris scaposa (Clustered Goldflower, Stemmy Four-Nerve Daisy, Stemmy Hymenoxys, Yellow Daisy, Bitterweed)
This species is best in zones 2, 3, 10-14 and 18-24 and is native from Colorado through to Kansas, and down to New Mexico and Texas. Flowers are bright golden yellow, and rays may be marked with reddish brown veining on the undersides. Blooms often throughout the winter months.

Tetraneuris torreyana (Torrey's Four-Nerve Daisy)
This species is native to Montana, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming. Individual plants reach up to 6 inches tall, and produce as many as 40 above-ground stems and yellow daisy-form flowers.

Caring for Tetraneuris

Tetraneuris, or Four-Nerve Daisies, are best planted in full sun exposure. Ideally, they should be getting between 6 and 8 hours of sun each day. They appreciate soil that is well-draining, moderately fertile, and that has a pH of between 6.0 and 7.5 (slightly acidic to slightly alkaline). If local soils are particularly poor in nutrients or do not drain well, make sure to amend the planting area with plenty of organic compost before installing. Apply a layer of mulch around the planting area to suppress weed growth, maintain consistent soil temperatures, and to increase soil moisture retention. Water new plantings regularly as they establish a strong root system in their new home. At maturity, Four-Nerve Daisies are considered to be drought-tolerant, able to get by for most of the year on rainwater alone with supplemental irrigations during extended periods of drought.

Pruning these plants is simple. Remove spent flowers to clean up the look of plants and encourage reblooms, and clip off any dead, damaged, or diseased foliage at any point during the growing season. These flowers will come back year after year in the garden with their linear foliage and happy yellow blooms. Every few years Tetraneuris plants need to be divided, especially if they are growing in a cramped space (such as a container). For instructions on how to successfully divide Tetraneuris plants, see the Propagation section below.

Propagation

Tetraneuris, or Four-Nerve Daisy, can be propagated by division or seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the division method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant, especially if you are propagating a hybrid cultivar. To propagate your Four-Nerve Daisy, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Tetraneuris by Seed

Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows.
Harvest your seeds. The seed heads on plants are pretty easy to spot, they're left behind after flowers have faded. Once they have dried out and begun to split open, you can harvest the seeds inside. Cut them off of the plant, placing them in a paper bag. Harvest as many as you can, and place the paper bag in a dry, cool, dark area. They will continue to split open and release the seeds contained inside. Once they have been released, take them out of the bag and put them in a container so you can work with them.
Get your container prepared. Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 2-6 weeks from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 65 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.

Propagating Tetraneuris by Division
This type of propagation is relatively simple; you will need a clean shovel, mulch, fresh soil (any kind will do, though it does need to be well-draining), compost and pots (only necessary if you will be saving divided plants for transporting elsewhere). Division is best done in very early spring (after the plant has entered dormancy, but before it has begun its new spring growth), and needs to be done every few years regardless of whether you have the goal of propagating the plants for best performance. To propagate by division, follow these steps:

Using a shovel, dig up your existing plant. Start from the outside and work your way in to avoid damaging the root(s). Once you have worked it up out of the ground, lay it out.
Start to tease apart the roots with your gloved fingers. Once the roots are untangled, separate your plant into segments, ensuring that each one has at least one thick root section attached.
Prepare your pot(s) or new planting site(s) with amended, well-draining soil. You can either bring in new soil or simply amend your existing soil with compost to complete this task. Then, plant your divisions and water thoroughly.
Apply a thick layer of mulch over the new planting to protect it from cold weather as it acclimates to its new home. Then, enjoy watching it sprout in the next growing season.

Problems and Pests

Tetraneuris plants are generally resilient, though they can be susceptible to developing issues with the following pests and diseases in the landscape from time to time: