Golden Dyssodia

Thymophylla pentachaeta

golden dyssodia blooming at Academy Village

About the Plant

Golden dyssodia is a short-lived perennial that flowers most of the year, slowing only for the coldest or hottest seasons. Reaching only to 8 inches, this native can serve as a groundcover if planted densely. Its dark green, feathery leaves help soften the appearance of hard surfaces.

Grow golden dyssodia in full sun. It can survive on natural rainfall once established. It reseeds readily. Seedlings can replace older plants that die. You may have more trouble restricting its spread than maintaining a perennial planting. Care for the plants by cutting low in spring just above new growth to maintain appearance. Previous years growth will often die to near the ground over the winter.

The two photos below show the same plants. In the top photo, old stems remain on the plants in late winter. In the second photo, the old stems of the plant to the right have been cut off, revealing the new spring foliage.


Notes: Previous name for this plant was Dyssodia pentachaeta and you will still see it listed under this name. This plant has numerous common names including common dogweed, fiveneedle pricklyleaf, fiveneedle fetid marigold, and golden dogbane.

Wildlife value: nectar plant for butterflies and pollinators, larval plant for dainty sulfur butterfly.

More Information

Weekly Plant on golden dyssodia

How to Identify Golden Dyssodia by Jim Conrad

Horticultural information from ASU

In books:

Native Plants for Southwestern Landscapes by Judy Mielke, page 131 (note under Dyssodia acerosa)

Perennials for the Southwest by Mary Irish, page 257

ID Characteristics

 This plant is in the Asteraceae - the aster family.
Golden dyssodia stays small, growing to 12 inches, though usually shorter, and about as wide as it is tall. The flowers are held above the foliage.
golden dyssodia blooming at Academy Village
The opposite leaves are needle-like, divided into 5-11 thin segments. There is a thin, elongated tip on each segment. Each leaf is 1/2 - 3/4 inch long. The leaves contain oil glands. If you rub the leaves, you release a scent that some consider unpleasant, hence the common name: fetid marigold. Click on the above photo to see the oil glands on the leaves and the almost-sharp tips of the leaves.  The stems and leaves die with winter's cold but there are often a few green leaves at the very base of the plant.
The flower heads are about half an inch wide. Because the outer petals are short, only 1/8 inch long, they look stubby in comparison to the center (disc) of the flower. Both disk and ray flowers are a golden yellow.  The green phyllaries that surround the base of the flower head have oblong, golden glands. Click on the photo to enlarge and look at the unopened flowers to see the glands. Each flower head is held above the foliage on a slender stalk.

The fruit is small and initially held within the faded flower head, which turns brown. Since this brown head and open flowers can appear at the same time, appearance suffers. After the first flush of blooms, as flowering slows, try cutting off both flowers and faded flower heads to improve appearance. Gather the brown flower heads, crush them, then scatter where you want more plants to appear. The glands are still visible on the phyllaries after the seeds have fallen.