Cowpen Daisy, Verbesina encelioides

Cowpen Daisy, Verbesina encelioides, Asteraceae (Aster Family)

This lovely but very common flower is often overlooked by those looking for more sophisticated plants, but never mind, this plant blooms prolifically from April till frost, with the most brilliant yellow flowers that attract butterflies and insects to their soft buttery centers.

This is an annual that self seeds readily, so once you plant it you won’t need to plant it again. It can take the heat and drought and loves full sun. Its native range covers a very large portion of North America and goes all the way to South America.

This plant is very important because it blooms prolifically without help and provides the abundant nectar that is so important to all of our pollinators at a time when other plants are done for the year.

Cowpen Daisy deserves a prominent place in Texas native landscapes and butterfly gardens.