Lakeshore Garden Centres Plant Finder

Other Names:  Yerba-mansa, Lizard Tail

Description:

This variety is perfect for stream or pondside planting, or wet container planting; young plants are produced by runners; the unusual flowers are quite attractive above the green foliage, which streaks red in summer and turns dazzling red in fall

Ornamental Features

Yerba Mansa features showy lightly-scented creamy white daisy flowers with white bracts rising above the foliage from late spring to mid summer, which emerge from distinctive red flower buds. Its crinkled oval leaves are green in colour with pointy buttery yellow spines and tinges of red. As an added bonus, the foliage turns a gorgeous red in the fall.

Landscape Attributes

Yerba Mansa is an herbaceous annual with a ground-hugging habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep. Trim off the flower heads after they fade and die to encourage more blooms late into the season. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Yerba Mansa is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Water Gardens
• Container Planting
• Bog Gardens

Planting & Growing

Yerba Mansa will grow to be about 12 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. Although it's not a true annual, this fast-growing plant can be expected to behave as an annual in our climate if left outdoors over the winter, usually needing replacement the following year. As such, gardeners should take into consideration that it will perform differently than it would in its native habitat.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in moist to wet soil, and will even tolerate some standing water. It is not particular as to soil type, but has a definite preference for alkaline soils, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is native to parts of North America. It can be propagated by division.

Yerba Mansa is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its spreading habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.