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Sida ulmifolia

common fanpetals

Malvaceae Tropical and subtropical Americas

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Deer Resistant Drought Tolerant

Native to North America

SunFull Sun

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 9–12

Overview

Sida ulmifolia is a wiry-stemmed subshrub of tropical and subtropical regions, growing 1.5–4 feet (45–120 cm) tall with tough, much-branched stems that become woody at the base. The alternate leaves are lance-shaped to rhombic, 0.75–2.5 inches (2–6 cm) long, with toothed margins and a paler underside. Solitary pale yellow to orange-yellow flowers about 0.4–0.6 inch (10–15 mm) across open from the leaf axils, each with five petals and opening for part of a single day. Flowering continues over a long warm season. The fruit splits into several segments, each tipped with two short awns that catch on fur and clothing. S. ulmifolia grows in fields, pastures, roadsides, and waste ground across the warmer parts of the Americas and other tropical regions, where it behaves as a weed of disturbed land. The tough stems resist grazing and mowing, and the plant self-seeds freely and can spread into cultivated and pasture ground.

Native Range

Sida ulmifolia occurs through tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas and has spread to warm areas worldwide. It grows in fields, pastures, roadsides, and disturbed waste ground, often on compacted or poor soil.

Suggested Uses

Used in some regions as a source of stem fiber and in traditional remedies. In gardens it is rarely planted by choice; where it appears, it tolerates hot, dry, compacted sites that hold few other plants.

How to Identify

Identify S. ulmifolia by its wiry, much-branched stems, toothed lance-shaped to rhombic leaves, and small solitary pale yellow to orange-yellow flowers borne in the leaf axils. The fruit breaks into segments each tipped with two short awns. The tough fibrous stems and small five-petalled flowers separate it from larger-flowered mallows.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height1'6" - 4'

Width/Spread1' - 2'6"

Colors

Flower Colors

yellow

orange

Foliage Colors

green

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~22 weeks

Summer Fall

Flowering continues over a long warm season, year-round in frost-free areas and through summer and autumn elsewhere. Each pale yellow to orange-yellow flower about 0.4–0.6 inch (10–15 mm) across opens for part of a single day. Segmented awned fruits follow and cling to passing animals.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

pale yellow to orange-yellow

Foliage Description

green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun

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

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.5 - 7.5(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

clay loam sand rocky

Drainageaverage

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

tender

Time to Maturity

1-2 years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

S. ulmifolia grows in full sun in a wide range of soils, including poor, compacted, and dry ground. Soil pH from 5.5 to 7.5 is suitable. It withstands heat, drought, and grazing once established and needs no supplemental feeding. The plant self-seeds heavily and can spread into cultivated and pasture land, where it is treated as a weed. It is hardy in USDA zones 9 through 12 and is cut back by frost. Established plants need little or no care.

Pruning

Cutting or mowing before the fruit sets limits self-sowing, though the tough stems regrow from the woody base. Old growth can be cut back hard in spring. The wiry stems blunt hand tools and may need loppers.