Monoptilon bellioides (Mojave desertstar)

Monoptilon spp.

Mojave and Sonoran Deserts of southwestern North America

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Drought Tolerant Container Friendly

Native to North America

Overview

Monoptilon spp. is a genus of two small annual herbs in the daisy family (Asteraceae), native to the deserts of southwestern North America. Plants are low and spreading, forming a flat rosette or cushion 1-4 inches (2-10 cm) tall and 2-8 inches (5-20 cm) across, with small, narrow, bristly-hairy leaves. Daisy-like flower heads sit almost directly on the foliage, each head 0.5-1 inch (12-25 mm) wide with white to pale-pink ray florets around a yellow center. The genus is a desert ephemeral, germinating after winter and early-spring rains and completing flowering and seed set within a few weeks before the soil dries. Monoptilon bellioides is the more widespread species across the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts. Because the plants depend on seasonal rainfall, they appear only in wet years and are absent in dry seasons.

Native Range

Monoptilon spp. is native to the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, including parts of California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and Baja California. Plants grow on open desert flats, sandy and gravelly soils, and disturbed desert ground.

Suggested Uses

Grown in desert and dry-climate wildflower plantings, rock gardens, and gravel beds that mimic open desert. Used in native seed mixes for arid restoration in the Mojave and Sonoran regions. The short life and small size keep it to specialist desert and container displays.

How to Identify

Recognized by a tiny, ground-hugging desert annual bearing white to pink-rayed, yellow-centered daisy heads that rest almost on the soil surface. The narrow, stiffly hairy leaves and cushion form stand out in open desert. The low, single-headed habit separates it from larger desert daisies and asters.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height1" - 4"

Width/Spread2" - 8"

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~4 weeks

Spring

Flowering follows winter and early-spring rains, typically February to May, with the display lasting only a few weeks before the plants dry and die. In dry years few or no plants appear. Bloom timing and abundance vary sharply from season to season with rainfall.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

White to pale pink with yellow center

Foliage Description

Green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun

Requires 8-12 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

Soil Requirements

pH Range6.5 - 8.5(Alkaline)

357912

Soil Types

sand rocky

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Very Low

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

As a desert annual, the genus grows in full sun on sandy or gravelly, sharply drained soil and depends on seasonal rainfall to germinate and flower. Water is needed during the cool growing season but the soil must dry between rains, and plants will not survive in moist or heavy ground. High heat and intense sun are tolerated during the short life cycle. Seed sown in autumn on open mineral soil germinates with cool-season moisture. The plants set seed quickly and then die, leaving a soil seed bank for future wet years. Cultivation outside arid climates is difficult.