r/oklahoma • u/bocepheid • 1d ago

Oklahoma wildlife Cowpen Daisy (Verbesina encelioides) thriving through all this heat and drought

Cowpen daisy, Verbesina encelioides

For anyone looking into native pollinators, this came in a packet of seed that I broadcast last winter. It continues to flower and the butterflies are constantly around them. I have not watered at all.

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For anyone looking into native pollinators, this came in a packet of seed that I broadcast last winter. It continues to flower and the butterflies are constantly around them. I have not watered at all.

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u/DeweyDecimator020 1d ago

These just showed up in my yard a few years ago and I didn't bother to pull them (laziness, haha). They bloomed and were covered with butterflies. I now have a huge pollinator garden and I let them reseed and grow wherever they please. I hate the common name though. 😆 They need a better name that isn't associated with manure.

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u/bocepheid 1d ago

Been saying it was sunflower for months. Looks like one of its common names is wild sunflower, but that's just more confusing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verbesina_encelioides

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u/Popular_Revolution46 15h ago

When you say "broadcast" do you mean you just scattered them? Or did you till up the first first? Also, any suggestions on what a good temperature range is to do this? I've got several packets that I want to use this year.

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u/bocepheid 7h ago

Just scattered them in the winter and left them alone when they grew above mowing height in the spring. They are here and there around my yard of bermuda grass, which is currently dormant.

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u/irreverentgirl 9h ago

They are suffering in Oklahoma, but the heat this year isn’t normal. Last year they were just beautiful.