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Monday - October 26, 2009

From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Wildflowers
Title: Planting wildflower seed into horseherb in Austin
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

Can I plant a Texas wildflower seed mix into a stand of Horseherb?

ANSWER:

Wildflowers will certainly co-exist with Calyptocarpus vialis (straggler daisy), also known as horseherb, particularly the early Spring-blooming wildflowers that come up while the horseherb is dormant. However, co-existing and planting into are different things. Read this How-To Article Getting Started in Planting Wildflowers. This deals with large-scale wildflower planting, but note the emphasis on getting very good seed/soil contact. Many of the wildflower seeds are very fine, almost like dust, and they might just stick on the straggler daisy leaves rather than getting to the ground. Also, that article warns against other plants shading out the wildflowers when they are just emerging. Most wildflowers like quite a bit of sun, and Calyptocarpus vialis can thrive in sun, part shade and shade. It is often considered a weed and can become invasive. The straggler daisy, with its little yellow flowers and big leaves, would probably be a very nice companion for the wildflowers, but first you must ensure that the plant doesn't dominate your little seedlings or prevent them from germinating at all.

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