Aphanostephus skirrhobasis (lazy daisy)

lazy daisy
Height: 1-2 feet
Spread: 1-2 feet
Type: Annual
Origin: Grows in many Oklahoma counties and also Arkansas, Missouri, and Texas
Water: dry to medium
Exposure: Full sun
Edible: ?
Medicinal: ?
Companions: Often seen with short grass prairie plants like : Liatris spicata (dotted gayfeather), Bouteloua gracilis (blue grama), and Gaillardia pulchella (indian blanket)

Notes: Aphanostephus skirrhobasis is a long blooming annual often found in sandy hot prairies and disturbed sites. It beautiful white and gold blooms are much like small Ox eye or Shasta daisies but they have a lovely pink to rose shade on the underside of the ray florets. A field of these in bloom is like a sea of stars, it’s nothing short of magical. It’s common name ‘Lazy Daisy’ comes from it’s predilection to wait until midday to open it’s flowers (not an early riser). It is a particularly hardy flower and can thrive in sandy soils with little water. It is known to grow in the grasslands, meadows, pastures, savannahs, and even on the edges of woodlands. In the garden it will grow into a nice low colorful mound of white blossoms. Due to it’s low profile it works well in the front of beds or dotted amongst low growing grasses. Native annuals are often overlooked as alternative to traditional bedding plants but it’s somewhat baffling why this one isn’t grown and appreciated more. Like many annuals, Lazy Daisy is good at self seeding so it can stick around in your beds for many years. If you are looking to attract wildlife then the lazy daisy is also helpful because they have a large amount of crude protein which deer in particular love to browse year round. Thanks and Good Luck!