Horseherb

Calyptocarpus vialis

Characteristics

Culture

Horseherb prefers well-drained sand, loam, clay, caliche, or calcareous soil. Tiny yellow daisy-like flowers bloom from spring to fall or even year-round in frost-free areas. Depending on your point of view, Horseherb is a pest or a welcome, shade-tolerant groundcover that tolerates moderate foot traffic. If you have a shady lawn anywhere within its range, you probably already have it. It gained in popularity during the growth in interest in native plants. Thriving in sun or shade, its tiny, yellow daisy flowers add a minute touch of color to shady areas and attract small butterflies like sulfurs, fritillaries, and skippers.

Noteworthy Characteristics

Forms a dense mat in partial shade to shady areas with little or no water. Produces yellow flowers from spring into fall. Can be mowed like a lawn. Mow approximately every 4 weeks to keep neat. Tolerates moderate foot traffic. Host plant for bordered Patch butterfly. Sometimes struggles with heavy fallen tree leaves that don’t decompose quickly. After flowering, a dry, one-seeded fruit will expand, forming a crown of stiff bristles. These aid in the seed dispersal.

Problems

Spreading by runners and rooting from its stems can cause this plant to spread throughout your garden, becoming quite weedy.

Garden Uses

Great plant for woodlands, fields, meadows, naturalized areas, rock gardens, shade gardens, butterfly gardens