Showstar Melampodium
Melampodium paludosum 'Showstar'
Height: 10 inches
Spacing: 12 inches
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: (annual)
Other Names: Blackfoot, Butter Daisy, Gold Medallion Flower
Description:
One of the easiest flowering annuals to grow; sunny daisy flowers of bright yellow throughout the season with no need to deadhead spent blooms; ideal bedding or container plant; tolerant of some shade and heat
Ornamental Features
Showstar Melampodium is bathed in stunning yellow daisy flowers with gold eyes at the ends of the stems from late spring to early fall. Its pointy leaves remain green in color throughout the season.
Landscape Attributes
Showstar Melampodium is an herbaceous annual with a mounded form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.
This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and should not require much pruning, except when necessary, such as to remove dieback. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Showstar Melampodium is recommended for the following landscape applications;
Planting & Growing
Showstar Melampodium will grow to be about 8 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 14 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 12 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. This fast-growing annual will normally live for one full growing season, needing replacement the following year.
This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist locations, and should do just fine under typical garden conditions. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.
Showstar Melampodium is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers against which the thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
