Growing Melampodium Flower in the Home Landscape
Melampodium flower thrives in conditions too hot and dry for other landscape flowers. This annual is valued across the country for its ease of care and disease resistance. Although container-grown plants may be difficult to source locally, seeds are typically mail-ordered or sometimes found in nurseries or garden centers.
Starting Melampodium Flower
Plant melampodium seeds in the garden in spring after the final frost of the season. Make sure the ground has warmed to a workable temperature, as the plants cannot tolerate even the slightest frost or cold. Cover lightly with soil and water to initiate germination, which occurs in about one week as long as the soil is kept moist and the ground is warm.
Melampodium Flower Care
These tough plants only require watering during times of drought. Water once or twice per week until the plants are established, and then stand back and let them go. Only apply supplemental water if more than two weeks have passed without any precipitation. Mulch to help conserve moisture, if desired. No fertilization or dead-heading is required.
Melampodium Cultivars
Numerous cultivars of this drought-resistant annual exist. Try one of the following for your summer annual garden and you'll be pleasantly surprised at how abundantly the plants bloom. Bright yellow flowers, also known as medallion flowers, grace the garden all the way until the first frost of fall. If you can find any of these container-grown plants, you'll likely get an earlier and longer bloom period. Most growers have to start from seed, however, because container-grown plants are still hard to find.
Million Gold – This cultivar is perhaps the most popular of all. It produces the characteristic yellow-gold flowers and tolerates the hot, dry summer months better than most.
Derby – This melampodium flower cultivar has a dwarf growing habit, but is otherwise similar to "million gold."
Show Star – Also known as star daisy, this cultivar flowers more abundantly than other types of melampodium flower, with more blooms appearing on the leaf nodes where spent flowers have dropped.
