Santa Fe Botanical Garden

Common name: Blackfoot daisy

Family: Asteraceae (Aster)

Distribution: Central and Southwestern United States, Northern Mexico

Habitat: Prairies, plains, pastures, roadsides, open woods, canyons

Hardiness: USDA Zone 4 (-30 to -20 °F)

Life form: Herbaceous perennial

Occurrence in New Mexico: New Mexico native plant

Growing Conditions: The blackfoot daisy is native to prairies, plains, meadows, and pastures from Kansas, Oklahoma, and Colorado, south through Arizona, New Mexico and western and central Texas, to central Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, and Sonora), usually at elevations from 2,000-5,000 feet. It often grows on limestone soils in grasslands and scrublands. It also grows in rocky, gravelly or sandy soils. Good soil drainage is essential. It may be seen along roadcuts or on dry slopes, growing in sun or part shade. It is widespread in New Mexico, growing in grasslands and canyon bottoms, in piñon-juniper woodlands and among desert scrub. Blackfoot daisies need only a low amount of water. This heat and drought tolerant plant thrives in rock gardens. Nutrient-rich soil and irrigation may improve flowering but shorten its lifespan. Plants can be cut back halfway in late winter to shape them and keep them compact.