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Xanthisma spinulosum

spiny goldenweed

Asteraceae Central and western North America

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Drought Tolerant

Native to North America

SunFull Sun

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 4–9

Overview

Xanthisma spinulosum is a clump-forming perennial in the aster family (Asteraceae), producing many erect to ascending stems 6-16 inches (15-40 cm) tall from a woody taproot. The gray-green leaves are 0.4-1.5 inches (1-4 cm) long and pinnately divided into narrow lobes, each lobe tipped with a small bristle or spine that gives the plant its common name. From late spring through fall it bears solitary yellow flower heads 0.8-1.2 inches (2-3 cm) across, each with numerous ray florets surrounding a yellow disc. The heads close at night and in cloudy weather. After bloom, the plant forms small dry seeds topped with tawny bristles for wind dispersal. X. spinulosum grows on dry plains, prairies, roadsides, and rocky or sandy slopes across central and western North America, where it withstands heat, drought, and poor soil. It is short-lived but reseeds, often persisting as a colony rather than as long-lived individuals. The bristle-tipped foliage can be prickly to handle, and the species can spread into disturbed ground.

Native Range

Native to central and western North America and northern Mexico, from the Canadian prairies south through the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain states into Texas, Arizona, and northern Mexico. It occupies dry plains, shortgrass prairie, mesas, roadsides, and rocky or sandy open ground.

Suggested Uses

Used in xeriscape, rock, and native prairie gardens and in roadside and rangeland restoration on dry, poor soils. Its long bloom supports bees and butterflies through summer and fall. The spiny foliage limits its placement along paths and seating areas.

How to Identify

Identified by its low, bushy clump of many stems and gray-green pinnately divided leaves whose lobes end in small spine-like bristles. The yellow flower heads, 0.8-1.2 inches (2-3 cm) wide, sit singly at stem tips and have numerous narrow rays. Seed heads carry a tawny bristly pappus typical of the aster family. The combination of spine-tipped, dissected leaves and yellow daisy heads on a dry-country plant separates it from smooth-leaved goldenweeds.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height6" - 1'4"

Width/Spread8" - 1'6"

Colors

Flower Colors

yellow

Foliage Colors

green

gray green

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~22 weeks

Spring Summer Fall

Blooms over a long season from May to October, with peaks following summer rains. Flower heads open in the morning and close by evening and on overcast days. In favorable years scattered flowering continues until the first hard frost.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

gray-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 Range6.5 - 8.0(Alkaline)

357912

Soil Types

sand rocky loam clay

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

1-2 years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Xanthisma spinulosum grows in full sun on dry, well-drained sandy, rocky, loamy, or clay soils with a pH near 6.5 to 8.0. It is drought tolerant once established and needs no supplemental water in most settings. Rich soil and overwatering shorten its life and cause floppy, weak growth. It is hardy through roughly USDA zones 4 to 9 and withstands cold prairie winters. The plant reseeds readily and can be left to renew the clump as older crowns decline. No fertilizer is required.

Pruning

Shearing the plant after the first flush of bloom can tidy the clump and prompt rebloom. Spent stems can be cut back in late fall or early spring. Cutting seed heads before they ripen limits self-sowing where that is a concern.