Sphagneticola trilobataTrailing Daisy

The Sphagneticola trilobata, formerly Wedelia trilobata and usually called the Trailing Daisy, is a fleshy-leaved mat-former of 0.15 to 0.3 metres that roots at every node and carries small bright yellow daisy flowers almost continuously in warm climates.

It closes bare ground faster than any other groundcover in the tropical palette, which is both its value and the reason it needs firm boundaries.

Specifications

• Height0.15 to 0.3 metres
• Width0.6 to 1 metre per plant, then spreading indefinitely
• Native toMexico, Central America and the Caribbean
• FoliageFleshy three-lobed glossy green leaves on rooting runners; evergreen
• Growth rateFast

Conditions

• SoilAdapts to almost any soil, including poor, sandy and periodically wet ground
• LightFull sun to partial shade
• WaterLow to moderate; drought-tolerant once established
• ClimateThrives in tropical, subtropical and coastal regions and in warm arid climates with irrigation

Additional Features

• FlowersSmall bright yellow daisy flowers, near-continuous in warm climates
• UsesIdeal for rapid groundcover on banks and verges, erosion control and planter spillover
• SpacingPlant 0.3 to 0.5 metres apart for cover within a season
• Low MaintenanceShear to contain it; runners root at every node and will cross an edge
• Pest ResistanceGenerally pest-free and resilient
• Drought ToleranceHolds cover through dry periods once established
• Erosion ControlDense rooting mat binds loose soil on slopes and batters
• Salt ToleranceTolerates coastal exposure and salt-laden wind

The Trailing Daisy is the fastest route to closed green cover on a raw slope, used with a hard edge and a containment plan.