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Creeping Oxeye

Sphagneticola trilobata (sfag-neh-TIH-ko-la try-lo-BAH-ta)

Family: Asteraceae Unknown Groundcover

Wedelia is a creeping, herbaceous perennial groundcover in the daisy family (Asteraceae). It is native to Mexico and tropical America, but it has widely naturalized in warm part of the world. The genus name translates as "growing in sphagnum [bogs]," and the species epithet is Latin for "having three lobes" and refers to the leaf shape. This species grows rampantly in warm, moist, sunny or partially shaded sites. In drier sites, the growth rate is slower, and the plant is less vigorous. The plant roots along the nodes and can creep into lawns and flower beds, where it is not wanted. It is not frost hardy. Wedelia is tolerant of a wide array of environmental conditions, which is why is a popular groundcover. Its popularity has waned in recent years, as its weedy reputation becomes more widely known. Wedelia is an effective groundcover, used in informal garden beds, inhospitable sites between the sidewalk and street in urban and suburban gardens, and in containers. It also works in a rain garden or a butterfly garden.

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 41 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 5 - Groundcover
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Native alternatives Diodia virginiana

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Ground Cover; Herbaceous Perennial
USDA zones
9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
Soil texture
High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil drainage
Moist | Occasional Flooding | Occasionally Dry
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
5 - Groundcover
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Creeping
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Ovate
Leaf margin
Lobed
Leaf feel
Rough
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The leaves usually have three distinct lobes, but some leaves may be scarcely lobed at all.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Head
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
The daisy-like heads of wedelia are showy and attractive to butterflies and bees.
Bloom time
Summer
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Coastal; Container; Hanging Baskets; Slope/Bank
Landscape theme
Butterfly Garden; Cottage Garden; Drought Tolerant Garden; Pollinator Garden; Rain Garden
Design feature
Mass Planting
Garden tags
#aggressive #yellow flowers #groundcover #tropical #weedy
Problems & Resistance
Problems
Weedy

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.