Melampodium leucanthum aka Plains Blackfoot

Melampodium leucanthum, or blackfoot daisy, is in the daisy family. This wildflower lives for more than one year. It grows in the western and southwestern United States. Its native range includes three states in Mexico: Chihuahua, Coahuila, and Sonora. It grows on plains, prairies, meadows, and other open ground. It also grows on dry sites rich in lime. Its range includes the Sonoran Desert.

The plant forms a low, round clump with upright stems. It grows 0.5–1 foot (0.15–0.3 metres) tall. It spreads 1–2 feet (0.3–0.6 metres) wide. It grows at a moderate rate. Its narrow, gray-green leaves grow in pairs along the stems. The leaves in each pair face each other. Rough hairs cover the leaves. Their edges are smooth or have pinnate lobes, like a feather. A taproot holds the plant in place. This makes it unfit for division, or splitting into plants. Grow new plants from seed instead.

The flower heads have a scent. White rays form a ring around each yellow disc. Each head has eight to thirteen rays in that ring. Long stalks hold the heads above the leaves. Two rows of upright white hairs mark each flower stalk. Flowers bloom from spring through fall and last until frost. Butterflies and other pollinators visit them. Birds eat the seeds. Plants keep blooming without deadheading, or removal of spent heads. But taking off spent heads limits how much plants self-seed.

Give blackfoot daisy full sun and soil that drains well. It suits sand or shallow, rocky ground. It can grow in poor soil and alkaline soil. The plant copes with heat and drought and needs little water. Rich soil and heavy watering can bring more blooms. But they can also shorten its life. NC State lists it for USDA zones 4–11. Cut plants back by half in late winter for compact growth. Its low care needs suit dry gardens.

Use this small, long-lived plant in rock gardens or borders. It also suits group plantings, pots, slopes, and flower bed middles. Its flowers and seeds feed wildlife in gardens. It resists deer, which helps where deer browse plants. NC State reports no usual insect pests or major disease concerns. But hot, damp weather can bring powdery mildew. The supplied sources give no guidance on eating this plant. They give no evidence about its safety for people or pets.