Melampodium

Melampodium Care

Melampodium Divaricatum

What is the plant

Known for its constant display of beautiful yellow flowers (and for looking like a miniature sunflower), the melampodium plant blooms golden petals with a dark gold center. A few of this annual plant's species grow cream and white petals with yellow centers, and other colors also include orange and orange-yellow hues. The plant gets one of its common names—black foot—from its dark, seemingly black lower stems.Melampodium begins blooming in late May, and gardeners can expect these daisy-like plants to continue blooming all the way until the first frost of the season. They are easy to grow and can survive a variety of conditions and locations, including both containers as well as in the ground.

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Lighting

Full Sun

Difficulty

Easy

How to Care for the Plant

Water
A drought-resistant and heat-tolerant plant, melampodium will grow best with regular watering. But just be sure to allow the soil to dry out slightly in between waterings.
Pruning
These flowers are considered self-cleaning, so no deadheading is required to eliminate spent blooms, and they are also self-branching (so no pinching is necessary).
Fertilizer
To keep your melampodium blooming all season long, consider adding a slow-release fertilizer or a general purpose liquid fertilizer to your soil.

Disease diagnosis

Check your plant’s health

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Sunlight
The melampodium plant will grow best when exposed to full sunlight, as it will encourage optimal flower growth while also helping to keep the plant intact. As many varieties of these plants mature, they tend to flop over—planting them in full sun will help prevent that from happening. Pinching back early in the growth (or shearing if it begins to flop) can also help.
Soil
This plant is native to areas with rocky soil, so while it will require well-drained soil to truly thrive, it is tolerant of nutritionally poor soils.
Temperature
These are truly warm-weather plants that can survive an array of heat-related conditions. Once they're established, melampodium are drought tolerant. Despite its toughness, melampodium is susceptible to growing powdery mildew when planted in certain humid areas.

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Container
Since the melampodium plant likes dry conditions, it makes a fantastic container plant. Just be sure to initially transplant them into a light, well-drained soil and be wary of overwatering.
Popularity
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