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.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Sunday - March 13, 2011
From: Voorheesville, NY
Region: Northeast
Topic: Wildflowers
Title: Zexmenia in upstate NY
Answered by: Anne Bossart
QUESTION:
Will zexmenia survive in upstate New York (Albany)?ANSWER:
No, Wedelia texana (Zexmenia) is not a good plant choice for upstate New York. The only state where it is native is Texas (and only the west half of Texas, at that). Its native habitat is described in our native plant database as:
Fields & wood borders, Abundant on Edwards Plateau, Rio Grande Plains, less frequent in the Trans-Pecos and Southeast and North Central Texas. Well-drained sand, loam, clay, caliche, limestone.
There are a number of plants with yellow flowers that are similar in appearance to zexmenia that are native to NY and would be appropriate choices for you. If you visit our Native Plant Database and do a Combination Search selecting New York, herbaceous plant (or you can also search small shrubs), sunny, dry conditions and yellow blooms it will generate a list of plants to choose from. Each plant is linked to a detailed information page.
Here are a few from that list for you to consider:
Coreopsis lanceolata (Lanceleaf coreopsis)
Coreopsis verticillata (Threadleaf coreopsis)
Heliomeris multiflora var. multiflora (Showy false goldeneye)
Oenothera fruticosa ssp. glauca (Narrowleaf evening-primrose)
Rudbeckia hirta (Black-eyed susan)
Verbesina encelioides (Golden crownbeard)
If your soil is somewhat moist, you will have more choice.
More Wildflowers Questions
Bluebonnet blooming in late August
August 27, 2008 - We have a bluebonnet plant in our front yard that has been blooming since July. We did not plant it, it just came up naturally. Is it rare to have a plant still blooming this time of year?
view the full question and answer
Signs designating wildflower areas
September 17, 2007 - I belong to a large homeowners association in Keller, TX. We've created a large wildflower area and need a sign to designate it. Where can I find wildflowers signs ? We want to alert residents to ...
view the full question and answer
Central Texas wildflowers
March 20, 2004 - How do I propagate specific central Texas wildflowers?
view the full question and answer
Planting fields with wildflowers
November 05, 2009 - I'm hoping to seed a few fields (large area, short grass) the easiest way possible. I'd love to do bluebonnets but I don't think I can get a large aerator to the locations. Basically I'm wonderi...
view the full question and answer
Wildflowers for a pond in MO
September 10, 2011 - I have a spring fed pond in Missouri and would like to plant perennial wildflowers in the area around it. Are there any that would do better or others that are not recommended?
Thank you.
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |