Plant Encyclopedia

Group/Class:  Magic Carpet Series

Description:

A stunning variety producing volumes of brilliant yellow flowers from summer until first frost, on a semi-mounded habit; perfect for rockeries, or spilling from containers; blooms steadily through mid-summer heat

Ornamental Features

Magic Carpet Yellow Mecardonia has masses of beautiful yellow round flowers held atop the stems from mid spring to mid fall, which are most effective when planted in groupings. Its small pointy leaves remain green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Magic Carpet Yellow Mecardonia is an herbaceous annual with a ground-hugging habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Magic Carpet Yellow Mecardonia is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Magic Carpet Yellow Mecardonia will grow to be only 5 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 16 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 12 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. 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 does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.

Magic Carpet Yellow Mecardonia 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.