Richardia grandiflora (largeflower Mexican clover)

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Richardia spp.

Mexican clovers

Rubiaceae

Tropical and subtropical America (Mexico, Central and South America), naturalized widely in warm regions

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Drought Tolerant

Native to North America

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

Overview

Richardia spp. is a genus of about 15 species of low, spreading herbs in the family Rubiaceae, native to warm regions of the Americas and widely naturalized as weeds elsewhere. Most species are summer annuals, though a few are short-lived perennials. Stems are hairy, prostrate to ascending, and 4 to 16 in (10 to 40 cm) long, branching from the base to form loose mats. The leaves are opposite, oval, and roughened with stiff hairs, joined across the stem by a fringed sheath typical of the family. Small flowers gather in dense terminal heads ringed by a collar of leaf-like bracts; each flower is white, sometimes pink, and has a tube opening into six pointed lobes 0.2 to 0.4 in (5 to 10 mm) across. R. scabra, known as Florida pusley, and R. brasiliensis, Brazil pusley, are common weeds of lawns, sandy fields, and roadsides in warm climates. The plants seed freely and tolerate heat and drought, which is why they persist in turf and bare ground. Limitations for any garden use include the weedy, self-seeding habit and the coarse, hairy foliage.

Native Range

Richardia spp. is native to Mexico, Central America, and tropical South America, with R. brasiliensis originating in Brazil. Several species have naturalized across the southern United States, Africa, Asia, and Australia. Plants grow in sandy soils, disturbed ground, pastures, lawns, and roadsides.

Suggested Uses

Richardia spp. is rarely grown on purpose and is usually managed as a weed of lawns, sandy gardens, and croplands. In its native range it acts as a quick-covering pioneer on bare and disturbed soil. The flowers supply nectar for small bees and butterflies where the plants are tolerated.

How to Identify

Identify Richardia spp. by its hairy, prostrate to ascending stems and opposite, rough-textured leaves joined by a fringed sheath at each node. The small white to pink flowers sit in a tight terminal head surrounded by a ring of leaf-like bracts, with each bloom opening into six pointed lobes. The bristly foliage and the bract collar beneath each flower head separate it from similar lawn weeds.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height4" - 1'4"

Width/Spread8" - 2'

Colors

Flower Colors

white

pink

Foliage Colors

green

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

Summer Fall

Richardia spp. flowers through the warm months, mainly from June to October in temperate summers and over a longer span in the subtropics. The small white to pink flower heads open over many weeks as the plant keeps branching and setting seed. Bees and butterflies visit the flowers for nectar.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

white, sometimes pink

Foliage Description

green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 6-10 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 Range5.5 - 7.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

sand loam

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Richardia spp. grows in full sun on sandy, free-draining soils with a pH from about 5.5 to 7.0, and tolerates poor, dry ground. Plants are drought tolerant once rooted and need no watering in most settings, which is part of why they thrive as weeds. They germinate in warm soil and complete growth in a single warm season as annuals, with a few species persisting as short-lived perennials in frost-free areas. The plants are frost tender, and top growth dies with the first hard freeze. In turf, mowing does little to check them because the low stems flower below the blade height.

Pruning

Richardia spp. needs no pruning as a wild or weedy plant. In managed turf it is cut or pulled, though mowing misses the low flower heads and hand-pulling lifts the shallow stems. Removing plants before they set seed limits their spread the following season.