Southwest Plant of the Month – Tansy aster or Tahoka daisy – Machaeranthera tanacetifolia

Jul 24, 2021 | Plant of the Month

General Information

Plant Form Flower Plant Size 1′ x 1′
Plant Type Annual Water Usage Low
Sunlight Sun, Partial Shade Colors Purple

Physical Description:  Profuse lavender to purple 2″ ray flowers with yellow disk centers among finely dissected foliage. Blooms spring through summer.

Care and Maintenance:  Needs well drained soil. Prolific reseeder becoming invasive with excess water.

Gardener’s Notes:  Native to El Paso’s sand dune country. The attractive daisy-like flowers often appear on a succession of plants. To prolong the blooming season, remove spent plants to make way for new emerging replacements. M. canescens, Sand aster, is a more robust, larger leafed relative also found in sandy or rocky soils of El Paso with lovely purple flowers in the fall.

Plant information from Southwest Yard & Garden Plant Advisor.

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