Dittrichia viscosa aka False Yellowhead

Dittrichia viscosa is in the daisy family, Asteraceae. People call it false yellowhead or woody fleabane. Its old names include Inula viscosa and Erigeron viscosus. It is native to the Mediterranean region and Macaronesia. Its range takes in parts of southern Europe and North Africa. It reaches Turkey and the eastern Mediterranean too. Kew puts it in a subtropical climate range. The RHS says it is not native to Britain or Ireland.

This plant is a perennial or a small subshrub. Plants For A Future gives its height as about 1.6 feet [0.5 metres]. The sources do not state its full-grown width. They give no clear details about its leaves. Nor do they describe its bark, stems, or fruit. It grows wild on waste ground. The listed garden sites include beds for growing plants. Growth on waste ground alone does not show that it is invasive.

Plants For A Future lists blooms from September to October. This puts the flowers in early to mid-autumn. Each flower has both male and female parts for breeding. Insects move pollen from flower to flower. The sources do not say what colour the flowers are. Nor do they describe their shape. They give no details of seed heads or fruit. These gaps leave its look through the seasons less clear.

Choose a sunny site with normal garden soil. Plants For A Future says it cannot grow in shade. It accepts sand, loam, and clay soils. Its stated pH range goes from mildly acid to mildly alkaline. The same source says it likes moist soil best. The sources give no hardiness zone. They do not say how much frost it can take. Plants For A Future lists spring or autumn for division. It also suggests sowing seeds under glass in spring. But this seed advice is tentative. It is not a tested method for this species.

Plants For A Future says the roots yield a yellow dye. It lists no known uses for food or medicine. No known hazards does not mean it is safe for people or pets. The sources name no pests or diseases. They give no set advice on control or pruning. The garden roles they support are thus modest. These are a bed-grown perennial with autumn blooms and a dye source.