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Lebsack, Tom

Pectis angustifolia

Pectis angustifolia Torr.

Limoncillo, Lemonscent, Crownseed Pectis, Lemon-scented Pectis, Lemonscent Pectis, Lemonweed, Chinchweed, Fetid Marigold

Asteraceae (Aster Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: PEAN

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

Lemonscent or limoncillo is a low, tidy annual, 5-8 in. tall, with slender, leafy stems. The fleshy, linear leaves are usually lemon-scented. Yellow, 1/2 in. blooms occur in clusters.

Leaves used for flavoring and hot tea. A good low-growing plant for rock gardens or borders.

From the Image Gallery

24 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Annual
Habit: Herb
Size Notes: Up to about 8 inches tall.
Leaf: Green
Flower: Flowers 1/2 inch
Fruit: Fruit is a cypsela (pl. cypselae). Though technically incorrect, the fruit is often referred to as an achene.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Yellow
Bloom Time: Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct

Distribution

USA: AZ , CO , KS , NE , NM , OK , TX , UT , WY
Native Distribution: N. to Wyoming and Nebraska, w. to Arizona and Utah, e. to central Texas, and s. to Veracruz. Concentrated in southwestern deserts, particularly the Chihuahuan Desert
Native Habitat: Sandy, often calcareous, dry uplands

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry
CaCO3 Tolerance: High
Soil Description: Sandy or gravelly soil. Caliche type, Gravelly, Sandy, Sandy Loam, Medium Loam
Conditions Comments: Leaves used for flavoring and hot tea. A good low-growing plant for rock gardens or borders.

Benefit

Use Ornamental: Grows in clumps, Aromatic, Low growing, Rock gardens, Border, Mass planting
Use Wildlife: Nectar-Bees, Nectar-Butterflies, Nectar-insects, Seeds-Granivorous birds
Conspicuous Flowers: yes

Propagation

Propagation Material: Seeds
Description: Sow seed in sping or fall.
Commercially Avail: yes

Find Seed or Plants

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

Mr. Smarty Plants says

Edible Native Plants for a Small Austin Garden
March 15, 2010
Hello Mr. Smarty Plants (or Mrs. or Miss, whomever is answering this go'round)! First off, thank you so much for all the help you have given me in the past. Secondly, the company my husband works ...
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From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Sibley Nature Center - Midland, TX

Bibliography

Bibref 355 - Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas and the Southwest (1991) Miller, G. O.
Bibref 318 - Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski
Bibref 248 - Texas Wildflowers: A Field Guide (1984) Loughmiller, C. & L. Loughmiller
Bibref 291 - Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife (1999) Damude, N. & K.C. Bender
Bibref 328 - Wildflowers of Texas (2003) Ajilvsgi, Geyata.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.

From the Archive

Wildflower Newsletter 1984 VOL. 1, NO.1 - First issue. Lady Bird\'s Center is a dream come true. National Clearinghouse a ...

Additional resources

USDA: Find Pectis angustifolia in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Pectis angustifolia in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Pectis angustifolia

Metadata

Record Modified: 2025-03-28
Research By: TWC Staff

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