Marshallia caespitosa
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Species Native to Missouri
Common Name: Barbara's buttons
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Asteraceae
Zone: 5 to 8
Native Range: United States
Garden Location: Cornelia Sunnen Backyard Garden
Height: 1 to 1.5 feet
Spread: 0.5 to 1 feet
Bloom Time: April to June
Bloom Description: White to pink-tinged
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Low
Flowers: Showy Flowers

Culture

Easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Prefers moist soils in part shade.

Noteworthy Characteristics

Barbara's buttons is a clump-forming Missouri native perennial which occurs in limestone glades and unglaciated prairie in several counties in the southwestern part of the State. The dense flower heads of this aster (composite) family member are discoid (only disk flowers with no ray flowers). The numerous, tiny, white to pink-tinged disk florets are compacted into solitary, terminal, pincushion-like, dome-shaped flower heads (to 1" diameter) atop long, rigid, slender stems (peduncles) rising to 16" tall. Flowers somewhat resemble some of the cornflowers (Centaurea). Flowers bloom in spring. Narrow linear-lanceolate leaves (to 4" long) mostly appear in basal rosettes, with sparse stem leaves being much smaller.

Problems

No serious insect or disease problems.

Garden Uses

Limestone rock gardens, border fronts and wildflower/native plant gardens.

Similar Plants


Marshallia grandiflora
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