Native Plants

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants

See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

rate this answer

Not Yet Rated

Tuesday - April 21, 2015

From: Lutz, FL
Region: Southeast
Topic: Groundcovers, Shade Tolerant, Herbs/Forbs
Title: Straggler daisy as a ground cover in Florida
Answered by: Guy Thompson

QUESTION:

I live in Hillsborough county,FL. My yard has two large oak trees and is very shady. I am looking for a shade resistant ground cover that will do well for a yard used by children to play. I was told Straggler daisy, is that a good option? Where can I get it? Should I get seed? Thank you!

ANSWER:

Calyptocarpus vialis (Straggler daisy), also called Horseherb, seems to be native in your county. It is usually considered to be a weed, but many people appreciate its properties. It is great as a groundcover in shady areas. You may be able to find Straggler daisy in the wilds by looking in shady areas. I will attach several photos to guide you. Perhaps one of your local nurseries carries it. I have seen it in a vegetative state in nurseries but not as seed. The following suggestion for planting Straggler daisy is lifted from a web site I found.

"HOW TO EASILY “SEED” AN AREA: Simply find a fast growing, blooming stand of Horseherb and mow it periodically using a lawnmower with a grass catcher attachment. Then thinly spread the Horseherb catchings (clippings) onto the area to be planted. Let the clippings dry for a few days then water or let the next rainfall germinate the very small seed which were collected during mowing. Horseherb will establish itself in stony, shady areas where grass will not grow well. NOTE: Horseherb DOES NOT kill or crowd out grasses; the grass thins or dies and the Horseherb covers the bare spots!"

I might suggest other possible plants for this site. Ruellia humilis (Fringeleaf wild petunia), Salvia lyrata (Lyreleaf sage) and Phyla nodiflora (Texas frogfruit) should be suitable.

From the Image Gallery

Horseherb
Calyptocarpus vialis