Melampodium leucanthum – Plains Blackfoot

Melampodium leucanthum - Plains Blackfoot, Blackfoot Daisy

Melampodium leucanthum - Plains Blackfoot, Blackfoot Daisy

Plant Name

Scientific Name: Melampodium leucanthum

Common Names: Plains Blackfoot, Blackfoot Daisy

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial

Growth Habit: Subshrub, Herb/Forb

Arizona Native Status: Native

Habitat: Desert, Upland

Flower Color: White rays and yellow disks

Flowering Season: Spring, Summer, Fall

Height: To 18 inches (46 cm) tall

Description: The flower heads are 1 1/2 inches (3.8 cm) across and have notched, white rays and yellow disk flowers that age to black at the base. The leaves are grayish green, opposite, and narrowly linear to lanceolate in shape. The plants form mounds to 2 feet (61 cm) wide.

Special Characteristics

Butterfly Plant – The flowers attract butterflies. These attractive, long-blooming plants are a good choice for a native xeriscape butterfly garden.

Classification

Kingdom: Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision: Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass: Asteridae
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae – Aster family
Genus: Melampodium L. – blackfoot
Species: Melampodium leucanthum Torr. & A. Gray – plains blackfoot

More About This Plant

Arizona County Distribution Map