Emilia Species, Tassel Flower

This plant bloomed consistently from April to November in mixed containers with adequate water during our record-breaking drought and heat of 2011.

I was not expecting to see this reseed itself after the harsh winter we had here in Michigan '09. While I adore this flower I see the po...Read Moretential for it to become weedy in spots I don't want it e.g. where the dog might eat it accidentally while grazing.

2012 update(3 years later) while we did have reseeds in following years there haven't been any this year, maybe due to drought conditions in S.E. michigan.

This is a great little self-sowing annual, blooming all summer long.

Some might call this plant a weed, but I love it. It occurred naturally in my back yard and appears to be a perennial in Zone 8a. I have ...Read Morenever had to water it, even in the dry season.
The best thing about the tassel flower by far is that it's a veritable butterfly magnet - if it's light out, there's guaranteed to be at least a few butterflies on it. A variety of different grasshopper species also seem to enjoy eating the seeds, which I don't mind because these flowers also produce seeds en masse. I'm going to plant some in my front yard soon.