Students for Stewardship The Cork Board
← Back to the library

Cut-leaf Daisy

Engelmannia peristenia (en-gel-MAN-ee-uh pair-ih-STEEN-ee-uh)

Family: Asteraceae Unknown Herbaceous (3-15 ft)

Named after George Engelmann, Engelmann's Daisy is a perennial in the aster family with showy yellow flowers and stout stems that give it an upright habit. Mr. Engelmann was born in Germany and later settled in Missouri. Upon his death in 1884, much of his collection of plants were donated to the Missouri Botanical Garden. This south-central North America native is found along roadsides and can be quite drought-resistant due to its deep tap root. This daisy is native to the south-central USA, primarily in TX and surrounding states east to Louisiana and north to southern Colorado. It grows up to 3 feet tall and blooms from March to July or longer with yellow flower heads that attract butterflies and bees. Deer, rabbits and livestock enjoy munching on the leaves as they are high in protein. Use this plant in well-drained medium to dry soil in the front or mid-border or in a meadow or naturalized area. If the plant begins to look sad in the summer, cut it back, and it will usually bloom again. It is tolerant of full sun to dappled sun conditions. The clusters of flowers open in the late afternoon, remaining open until the next day, when the heat and sun will cause the flowers to fold up into themselves. Cutting back in the later part of the summer may promote fall blooms. Its deep taproot makes this a good choice when planting for the prevention or control of erosion. This taproot also makes timing crucial when transplanting. Winter is the best choice. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 61 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft) Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
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.

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Herbaceous Perennial; Wildflower
Life cycle
Perennial
USDA zones
5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Occasionally Dry
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 6 in. - 3 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Erect; Rounded
Texture
Fine
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately); Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate; Rosulate
Leaf shape
Linear; Ovate
Leaf margin
Dentate; Lobed
Leaf feel
Velvety
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Toothed or lobed fuzzy leaves are mostly basal and form a rosette. Leaves can be up to 1-foot long and get smaller and fewer as they grow up the stem
Flower color
Gold/Yellow
Flower value
Long Bloom Season; Showy
Flower form
Head
Flower shape
Radial
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
8 petaled yellow ray flowers with 40-50 center disc flowers are 1-1 1/2" across early spring through mid-summer or longer. They tend to open around noon and bloom through the night. As they fade in the heat of the day the petals will curl under.
Bloom time
Fall; Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Brown/Copper
Fruit type
Achene
Fruit detail
2-valved achene. May have white hairs
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Multi-stemmed, stout, branched, erect plant with hairs.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Central U.S.A. to Mexico
Distribution
Ariz., Ark., Colo., Kans., Mo., Nebr., N.Mex., Okla., S.Dak., Tex, Mexico
Wildlife value
Birds enjoy the seeds. Nectar attracts bees and butterflies.
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies; Pollinators; Songbirds
Play value
Attractive Flowers; Attracts Pollinators; Wildlife Food Source
Food & Medicine
Fruit type
Achene

Uses (ethnobotany)

Used in pastures for feeding livestock. Also used on banks for erosion control.

Landscape Use
Landscape location
Meadow; Naturalized Area; Slope/Bank
Landscape theme
Butterfly Garden; Children's Garden; Cottage Garden; Cutting Garden; Drought Tolerant Garden; Nighttime Garden; Pollinator Garden
Design feature
Border; Mass Planting
Garden tags
#long bloom time #flowers late spring #showy flowers #flowers early summer #yellow flowers #flowers mid-summer #drought tolerant #flowers early spring #food source hard mast fruit #bird friendly #flowers mid-spring #partial shade tolerant #full sun tolerant #native annual #livestock browsing plant #native perennial #dry soils tolerant #deer browsing plant #rabbit browsing plant #showy #butterfly garden #wet soils intolerant #erosion control #butterfly friendly #evergreen #heat tolerant #self-seeding #shade intolerant #xeric #wildlife friendly #bee friendly #meadow #poor soil tolerant
Problems & Resistance
Resistant to
Drought; Dry Soil; Heat; Poor Soil
Propagation
Seed

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.