Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Zexmenia
Zexmenia is a tough, sprawling perennial with rough green leaves and orange-yellow daisies from spring through fall. It grows about 2 to 3 feet tall and a little wider, takes full sun and gets by on little water once rooted.
It handles cold to about 5°F and stays green through a mild winter. Butterflies and bees visit the flowers, and a trim in early spring keeps it full.
Best for: sunny beds and borders, edging, banks and slopes, and low-water plantings that need long-lasting color.
Its orange-yellow daisies open from spring through fall on a rounded mound about 2 to 3 feet tall. Plant it 12 to 18 inches apart along a border for a solid band of color.
It spreads into a low, sprawling mound that covers banks and slopes. Once rooted it needs little water, and it grows in rocky or sandy soil.
Bees and butterflies visit the flowers, and it feeds the caterpillars of several native butterflies. Plant it in full sun, where it flowers the most.
Too much water or shade makes it leggy and floppy. A hard freeze can burn it back, so trim off the damage in early spring.
- Edging or border12 in apart
- Groundcover mass18 in apart
Water new plants every few days for the first couple of weeks, then stretch the time between waterings. Once rooted, water deeply every 1 to 3 weeks in summer. In winter, water every 3 to 6 weeks.
Cut it back in early spring to clear frost damage and shape the plant. Trim it again if it gets leggy. Too much water or shade makes it floppy.
Give it full sun for the densest growth and heaviest bloom. It tolerates light shade but flowers less there.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
What is zexmenia?
It is a tough perennial daisy from south Texas and Mexico, now named Wedelia acapulcensis variety hispida. It is also sold as Wedelia texana or Zexmenia hispida, so look for any of those names.
How big does zexmenia get?
It grows about 2 to 3 feet tall and 2 to 4 feet wide. Plant it 12 to 18 inches apart for a border or groundcover.
When does zexmenia bloom?
It blooms from spring through fall with orange-yellow daisies. Keep it in full sun and water it deeply now and then in summer for the most flowers.
How often should I water zexmenia?
Water new plants every few days at first, then stretch it out. Once rooted, water deeply every 1 to 3 weeks in summer and every 3 to 6 weeks in winter.
Does zexmenia need full sun?
Yes, full sun gives the densest growth and the most flowers. It tolerates light shade, but too much shade makes it leggy.
When should I cut back zexmenia?
Cut it back in early spring to remove frost damage and shape it. Trim it again if it gets leggy from extra water or shade.
Is zexmenia cold hardy?
Yes. It is rated to about 5°F and stays green in a mild Valley winter. A hard freeze can burn the tips, so trim them off in spring.
Does zexmenia attract butterflies?
Yes. Butterflies and bees visit the flowers, and it feeds the caterpillars of several native butterflies. Leave some leaf damage alone, since that is the caterpillars feeding.
Is zexmenia good for slopes?
Yes. Its sprawling mounds cover banks and slopes and grow in rocky soil. Water it until it roots, then only now and then.
Zexmenia for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Zexmenia is a rugged, low-water perennial that keeps blooming through the Valley heat. It is sold under the older names Wedelia texana and Zexmenia hispida. This page covers size, spacing, watering, cutting back and cold.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
Zexmenia in the Valley
Zexmenia is a tough perennial daisy with orange-yellow flowers from spring through fall. It takes full sun and needs little water once rooted.
Zexmenia names
It is now named Wedelia acapulcensis variety hispida and is also sold as Wedelia texana or Zexmenia hispida.
How far apart to plant zexmenia
Plant it about 12 to 18 inches apart. Use 12 inches for edging and 18 inches for a groundcover mass.
Watering zexmenia
Once rooted, water deeply every 1 to 3 weeks in summer and every 3 to 6 weeks in winter.
When to cut back zexmenia
Cut it back in early spring to clear frost damage and keep it full. Trim again if it gets leggy.
Zexmenia for butterflies
Bees and butterflies visit the flowers, and it feeds the caterpillars of several native butterflies.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.