Thymophylla

( tye - moh - FILL - uh )

At-A-Glance Information

Previously known as the genus Dyssodia, this genus includes perennials and annuals that need full sun and moderate to little water to perform well in the garden. They are commonly known as Pricklyleaf, Dahlberg Daisy or Common Fleece, and form low-growing mounds of foliage and small yellow daisies. They are not picky about soil but need to have good drainage to perform well, but otherwise are considered easy to grow. Use Thymophylla as edging, bedding plants, desert/xeriscape, or rock gardens.

Thymophylla Species and Varietals

The genus Thymophylla is a member of the plant family Asteraceae and includes 13 species. The genus name is derived from the Greek words thymon, meaning Thyme, and phyllon, meaning leaf, referring to the Thyme-like foliage of some species. Plants in this genus are closely related to those in the genus Adenophyllum. Thymophylla grows best in zones 8-14 and 18-23. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Thymophylla acerosa (Prickly-Leaf Dogweed)
This shrubby perennial is native to Nevada and Utah down to Texas and Mexico. It forms a mound 6-8 inches tall and a foot wide. It is covered in flowers from spring through fall, and has needlelike green leaves. It is great in beds, amongst cacti, and as an informal groundcover. IT is great as an erosion control plant on slopes.

Thymophylla pentachaeta (Golden Dyssodia, Five-Needle Dogweed, Fiveneedle Pricklyleaf)
This perennial is native to California and Nevada down to southern Texas and Mexico. It reaches 4-6 inches tall and wide and has an open habit and has needle-like dark green leaves. Flowers bloom profusely in springtime, but this plant will produce flowers sporadically throughout the year. It is short-lived.

Thymophylla tenuiloba (Dyssodia tenuiloba) (Dahlberg Daisy, Golden Fleece, Bristleleaf Pricklyleaf, Shooting Star)
This short-lived perennial flower is grown commonly as an annual, and loves warm regions. It is native to an area that ranges from Texas over to Florida and then south down to Mexico. This plant has a mounding habit, reaching a foot tall and 1.5 feet wide at maturity. Dark green leaves are threadlike and very divided. Flowers bloom from early summer through fall. When plants begin to look a bit leggy and rugged, pull them and replace.

Caring for Thymophylla

Thymophylla plants can either be sown directly into the garden soil (1/8 inch deep), and they are also sometimes available through a reputable nursery as a specimen. Space plants between 6 and 12 inches apart for best coverage and airflow. They prefer a spot in the garden that receives full sun; ideally, between 6 and 8 hours is best. They prefer to be grown in substrate that is well-draining and on the rocky or sandy side with a pH of between 6.6 and 8.5 (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, these daisies are very drought-tolerant, able to get by on rainwater alone for most of the year with supplemental irrigations during extended periods of drought.

Fertilize yearly in early springtime with an application of 2 inches of compost around the base of plants. Pull mulch back before applying, work the compost gently into the soil a bit, water it in, and then replace mulch. These plants are not heavy feeders, and this should be sufficient to provide the necessary nutrients for the active growing and flowering seasons. Pruning is simple; remove any damaged, diseased, or dead foliage at any time during the growing season, and remove spent flower spikes to neaten up the appearance of plants and encourage reblooms.

Growing Thymophylla in Containers
These yellow daisy flowering plants are great in both containers and hanging baskets. They can grow in a variety of different container sizes, either on their own or along with other plants. Ensure that soil is well-draining and amended with plenty of organic matter, perlite, or sand. Deadhead spent blooms and trim plants to remove dead, damaged, or dying foliage at any point during the active growing season. Repotting is generally not necessary, as many home gardeners will treat these plants as annuals, pulling them at the end of the growing season and replacing them in the next.

Propagation

Thymophylla, or Dahlberg Daisy, can be propagated either by using cuttings or from seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the cutting 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. To propagate your flowers, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Thymophylla by Cutting

Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. 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.
In spring or late summertime, choose the plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. Cut one or more 3-4 inch portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming basal branch and strip the leaves off of the lower half. Ensure that your cutting has a bit of the woody basal tissue included. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot. Fill in soil around the cutting to support it, but do not pack it down too much.
Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in warm, sunny conditions indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about four to six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth, you'll know you have roots.
Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new shrub.

Propagating Thymophylla 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. Cut off dried up flower heads from the plant that still have seeds and place them in a paper bag. Allow the seeds to release, and then remove them from the bag so you can work with them. If you will not be using your seeds immediately, store them in a cool, dry, dark place. They will remain viable for between 2 and 3 years if stored properly.
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 7-14 days 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 55 and 70 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.