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Overview
Filago is a genus of small, woolly annual herbs in the daisy family (Asteraceae), native to Europe, the Mediterranean region, North Africa, and western and central Asia, with several species naturalized in North America and Australia. Plants are slender and erect to spreading, typically 2-12 inches (5-30 cm) tall, and clothed throughout in dense white to grey woolly hairs that give the stems and narrow leaves a felted appearance. The leaves are small, untoothed, and crowded along the stems. Flower heads are tiny and lack showy ray florets; instead, the minute disc flowers are packed into rounded clusters (glomerules) wrapped in woolly, chaffy bracts and gathered at the stem tips and in the leaf forks. Blooming in late spring and summer, the heads are yellowish to brown and are easily overlooked. After flowering, the plants set numerous tiny seeds and die, completing their cycle in a single season. Filago species grow on dry, open, sandy or gravelly ground, including fields, roadsides, and disturbed sites, and several are weeds of cultivated land. The woolly covering reduces water loss, but the plants are short-lived and collapse once seed is shed.
Native Range
Filago is native to Europe, the Mediterranean Basin, North Africa, and western and central Asia, growing on dry, open, sandy and stony ground. Several species have naturalized as weeds in North America, southern Africa, and Australia.Suggested Uses
Filago is rarely cultivated and has no established garden role. It appears mainly in dry, sandy wild habitats and as a weed of arable land, and is occasionally noted in botanical and restoration collections that document native grassland and sandy-soil flora.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height2" - 1'
Width/Spread2" - 8"
Bloom Information
Flowering occurs through late spring and summer, generally May to August. The clustered heads are yellowish to pale brown and wind- or self-pollinated, with little nectar to draw insects. Seed ripens quickly, and dry heads persist on the dead stems into autumn.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
yellowish to brownFoliage Description
grey-green to silveryGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Water & Climate
Water Needs
Drought Tolerance
Drought tolerant when established