Groundcover · Sonoran native
Blackfoot Daisy
Melampodium leucanthum · Asteraceae
Also called: Plains Blackfoot, Rock Daisy, Blackfoot Daisy
Blackfoot Daisy (Melampodium leucanthum) is a very low-water groundcover native to the Sonoran Desert region well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It grows to 6-12 in H x 12-18 in W in full sun, with a moderate growth rate.
Blackfoot Daisy at a glance
- Water use
- Very Low (established)
- Sun
- Full sun; tolerates light part shade but blooms and stays most compact in full sun.
- Mature size
- 6-12 in H x 12-18 in W
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Bloom
- White ray flowers with a yellow center disk; honey-scented, Spring through fall, with heaviest bloom in spring and fall in the low desert (nearly year-round in mild spells)
- Cold hardiness
- Cold hardy to about 0 F (USDA Zone 5); also very heat tolerant.
- Soil
- Demands excellent drainage; thrives in lean, rocky, gravelly, calcareous (alkaline) soils and dislikes rich or poorly drained soil.
- Native range
- Sonoran/Chihuahuan Desert region: Arizona east to Kansas and Texas, south into Sonora and Chihuahua, Mexico
- Best used as
- Mounding groundcover and front-of-border accent, Rock gardens, Pollinator and native plantings, Parkways and hellstrips, Containers
- Wildlife
- Attracts native bees, butterflies, and other pollinators; reported to be deer resistant.
- Toxicity
- Non-toxic; no significant toxicity reported.
How to grow Blackfoot Daisy in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Very drought tolerant once established; water every 2-3 weeks in summer and rarely in winter. Overwatering and poor drainage are the main causes of decline and short life.
Fertilizer & nutrients
None needed; this native thrives in poor soil and can be short-lived or floppy if fertilized. Skip supplemental fertilizer.
Pruning & care
Light shearing after heavy bloom flushes keeps it compact and tidy and prolongs flowering; otherwise needs little pruning.
Notes
A tough, long-blooming Sonoran/Chihuahuan Desert native forming a neat dome covered in white-and-yellow daisies. One of the best small native groundcovers for Tucson because it is extremely water-thrifty and blooms over a very long season; main requirement is sharp drainage and restraint with water. Can be short-lived (a few years) but often reseeds.
Sources: Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum plant care sheet; AMWUA 'Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert'; University of Arizona Cooperative Extension; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center