Giant Aster Townsendia exscapa
Other Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Townsendia sericea
- Phonetic Spelling
- town-SEN-dee-uh eks-SKAY-puh
- Description
-
Stemless Townsend Daisy is a short-lived perennial wildflower in the daisy family found in semidesert areas, woodlands, foothills, and open areas in central and western North America usually at higher elevations. The plants are quite short and hug the ground with their furry gray-green leaves. The flowers have many white to pinkish rays that surround the center yellow disc flowers and bloom from March to May depending on the area. It grows only 1-7 inches tall depending on rain fall and the basal leaves are often dried up by flowering time.
Use in a naturalized area or rock garden in sandy well-drained soil in full sun. This plant will not do well in areas of high humidity or heavy wet soils.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Townsendia
- Species:
- exscapa
- Family:
- Asteraceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- The Blackfeet used a decoction of the roots to treat tired horses.
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Canada, western U.S.A., Mexico
- Distribution:
- AZ , CO , ID , KS , MT , ND , NE , NM , NV , OK , SD , TX , UT , WY
- Wildlife Value:
- Attracts humming birds, bees and butterflies and other birds or small mammals looking for seeds
-
-
Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Perennial
- Wildflower
- Habit/Form:
- Clumping
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Medium
-
-
Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Texture:
- Sand
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Occasionally Dry
- Very Dry
-
-
Fruit:
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Summer
- Fruit Type:
- Achene
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Achenes, flattened, less than 1/4 inch long, pubescent; pappus of ray and disk flowers rigid, finely-barbed bristles, about twice as long as achenes.
-
-
Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Head
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Shape:
- Radial
- Flower Petals:
- more than 20 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- 1-3 inches
- Flower Description:
- Stemless to nearly stemless flowers with many white to pinks rays surrounding yellow disc flowers are 1-1.5 inches across
-
-
Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Soft
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Rosulate
- Leaf Shape:
- Oblanceolate
- Spatulate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- Linear, narrowly oblanceolate or spatulate, up to 2.5 inches long fuzzy gray-green leaves
-
-
Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Surface:
- Hairy (pubescent)
- Stem Description:
- Harry gray-green stems if present
-
-
Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Naturalized Area
- Slope/Bank
- Small Space
- Landscape Theme:
- Rock Garden
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Butterflies
- Hummingbirds
- Small Mammals
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Drought
- Dry Soil
