Aphanostephus Plant - A Lazy Daisy For a Leisurely Garden By Tammy Sons At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

A leisurely garden with an incredibly relaxed feel can be difficult to achieve when all of your plants are picture perfect—just like they appear in cartoons and picture books. So when you’re choosing a white daisy to give your garden that perfect, in the wind but not quite consistent feel, where do you turn? If this is the case, try the Aphanostephus plant, more commonly known as the Lazy Daisy or Riddell’s doze daisy.

The Lazy Daisy is a member of the sunflower family and is characterized by its petals, which, unlike traditional daisies, are many different sizes and are numerous. In addition, the plant gets its name because the buds of the flowers droop and are closed in the morning, and unlike other flowers, take until mid-day to become fully open and erect.

The Aphanostephus plant can be found throughout Texas, New Mexico and northern Mexico. It grows most successfully in well-drained loam soils but will also exist happily in caliche, which is found in pastures and woods.

Unfortunately, this particular flower does not tend to cross-pollinate so if your goal is to create a new type of flower specific to your garden and your needs, this is not the flower you’ll want to use. It will co-exist happily alongside other plants, including those from its own species.

Since the Aphanostephus plant can co-exist with other plants without incident or issue, you can mix its seeds with other flower species to create a mixed flower pack, bed or pasture. It can even be used in the creation of a native range. If you live in a wide pasture or other area that is frequented by white-tailed deer, you can expect to lose some or all of your Lazy Daisies to the hungry grazers, since this flower is one of their most important and most enjoyed food sources.

The Lazy Daisy is a beautiful addition to any garden, as it has a unique aesthetic quality that most other daisies do not provide. In addition, it is a strong, hardy plant that survives and even germinates in droughty conditions. Although this plant grows best in warm areas, it can survive and prefers germination in temperatures of 50-degrees to 70-degrees Fahrenheit.

The Aphanostephus plant also requires very little maintenance, making it not only a Lazy Daisy itself, but also making it perfect for the lazy gardener, or just a very busy one! The plant survives and thrives in both wet and dry conditions and does not require irrigation—although you may choose to irrigate during germination to increase seed production.

The most interesting thing about this plant is that the seeds can be vacuumed directly off the plant with a shop vacuum. If you didn’t love gardening before, this little detail may change your mind!

If you’re ready for lazy Sunday afternoons in your garden, give the Aphanostephus plant a try! This pretty little Lazy Daisy may be just the thing you need to create the leisure spot in your garden.

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