This one loves a rocky, hard-scrabble pasture. Horses and cows tend to avoid it, so the plants can go crazy, without too much danger of being munched on. You may have driven past an open field somewhere in the fall and seen it covered with a low carpet of bright yellow flowers. It’s probably this. The plants have a bitter or acrid taste, so it makes sense that cows don't care for it very much. In fact, some say that cows which have eaten this plant will produce bitter milk. (You can try chewing on this plant to see what it tastes like…but beware: it IS slightly toxic!) The leaves are narrow, thin and needle-like. They are fragrant, when crushed, in a sort of camphor-like way, but many people will say that they are just plain stinky.

Perhaps this species makes up for its bitterness by being beautiful. When in full bloom and in large patches, the plants make a spectacular show. Of course, this is another member of the sunflower family (Asteraceae), and up close, you can see the arrangement of tiny flowers, congested into heads at the ends of the branches. A single head will have several dozen inconspicuous yellow disk flowers (or “florets”) on a rounded receptacle, something like a tiny tennis ball. Eight or nine bright yellow, showy ray florets form a ring around the outside of the head, toward the bottom of the tennis ball. These rays are notched, or lobed, on their ends. The plants can get as tall as two feet or so, although sometimes they will bloom when just a few inches high, especially if growing in rough terrain, or when they are repeatedly mowed. As the plants get older (and taller), they tend to lose their lower leaves, which may remain attached to the stem for a while, turning brown, the lower stem thus shaggy. The plants tend to have a bushy, branched upper stem, so that a large individual will look a bit like a miniature tree with a rounded crown.

This species is native to the Southeast, and extends north to New England and west through Missouri and Texas. Here, in South Carolina, it occurs in every county but is most common in the Coastal Plain and Piedmont. It has a considerable number of near relatives, in the same genus, which usually get a lot more attention as attractive wildflowers, which are not weedy.

It doesn't always grow in pastures out in the country. As a “city mouse,” it commonly grows along downtown sidewalks and around parking lots or other disturbed places. It is a real survivor and can grow in any sandy or gravelly place, blooming like mad during the hottest and driest parts of the summer, well into autumn, and occasionally even in the coldest part of winter. It would probably look great on a patio, in pots. Has anyone ever tried growing it this way? (Photo by John Nelson.)

For answer, click here.

John Nelson is the curator of the Herbarium at the University of South Carolina, in the department of biological sciences. As a public service, the herbarium offers free plant identifications. For more information, visit www.herbarium.org or call 803-777-8196.