Wildflower Wednesday August 2013: Xanthisma texanum

Meet Xanthisma texanum or Sleepy Daisy, a native Texas wildflower so pretty that it's considered a show stopper at Annie's Annuals all the way over in California.  If you are familiar with Annie's Annuals you'll know a plant has to be special to stand out in their beautiful displays.  It's Wildflower Wednesday and I'm joining Gail at Clay and Limestone where garden bloggers are invited to report on wildflowers in their gardens the fourth Wednesday of each month.

The entire daisy bloom is the same shade of lemon yellow.

This bright lemon color seems just about perfect for my garden.  The patch is small because this is the first year I've grown Sleepy Daisy and they are currently in the circle garden where I can keep an eye on them. The deer have been ignoring it.

 
Sleepy Daisy is an annual so I've been collecting seeds this summer and will allow some of the later seeds to fall in the garden.  I've read they make good cut flowers and deadheading will increase blooms but this year I'm focused on making seeds.  The seeds for these were shared by a friend who collected them in West Texas.  She included a note that if hers should ever fail to grow or produce seeds I could return some to her.  I love that idea another gardening friend calls "insurance".  Looks like I'll have plenty to share in the future.

 
Unlike many of the flowers in my garden Sleepy Daisy stays closed in the mornings and opens in the heat of the afternoon summer sun.   Here they are just beginning to wake up around 9:00 this morning.

Sleepy Daisy has continued to bloom right through the record heat of our dry summer.  What else is there to say about a plant that produces bright, pretty blooms and takes everything our weather can throw at it. 

I'd say I'll plant a lot more next year.