PlantFiles: Wedelia
Wedelia paludosa

within a clearly bordered area, this does well in even AZ full sun. It probably isnt what one would call xeric, as it likes some moisture, but there are few groundcovers that can survive full AZ sun as well as this does. It will even do well on hardpacked clay once it is established. Of course, all of these traits make it potentially invasive, but responsible plantings can make good use of this plant. I have become fond of using it as a 'cover crop' to improve soils. I let it become established, then mulch heavily. The rapid growth shades the soil and mulch, allowing for more normal breakdown and water retention than bare soil with some mulch on top would. I mow it heavily if it gets too aggressive, and keep mulching. Meanwhile, plant a tree or two in the now cooler and or more moist soil; this provides a higher canopy cover for the soil and future shubs/plants.
Within a few years, I use roundup to kill it off and Im left with a canopy layer that would have been difficult to establish without the use of wedelia, as well as enriched soils that would have taken much longer to achieve otherwise. A few more shots of roundup are all that are needed to kill it off. Mulch again for aesthetics, and voila! Nice planting grounds

Oh, come on, folks! Relax. This plant is wonderful as a contained ground cover--much more interesting than that ubiquitous pachysandra. I have it growing in the space between the sidewalk and street, with walkways on both sides, so it is easy to keep it under control. All the children walking down the sidewalk love to pick the "daisies". Unfortunately, an across the street neighbor, dubbed by my next door neighbor as the "lawn police," calls it a weed, and once mowed it down to the bare ground.

There is some growing in front of my fence where the water meter is, so I have to keep pulling it up so the meter readers can get to the meter. Otherwise it is no problem. My daughter also grows it in a large pot. I love it, it is beautiful, and requires absolutely no maintenance except control.

This plant was given to me by unsuspecting friend. In space of a year it has run at least 20 feet and is a tangled mess 8 inches high with the flowers standing above. However in looking it over I believe it has a place. It could be used at the base of a large tree in circular fashion. And kept controlled when cutting the grass around it. Also I have an area that is partially shaded by Mimosa trees. It could be planted here and kept under control by using an edging 4" in the ground and 4" high. Since it seems to be a surface rooted plant it would be fairly easy to maintain since the runners would be obvious and can be clipped off when mowing the grass. I think I will try it.

Once established, it's very difficult to get rid of. It does respond to RoundUp, especially in winter when its vigor has been tamed a bit by chilly weather. But because it roots at every node and breaks easily when pulled, if you have it once, you'll have it forever.

Wedelia or Creeping Oxeye (Wedelia paludosa) is extremely invasive and weedy in central and southern Florida, parts of the Caribbean and Bahamas, Hawaii and other tropical and subtropical areas worldwide. It can quickly spread uncontrollably by runners, quickly forming dense spreading groundcovers that prevent the germination of native species. It is naturalized and spreading in many natural areas and both disturbed and undisturbed habitats in central and southern Florida, including pine flatwoods, wet areas and swampsides, canal banks and ditches, along fences and property borders and edges, coastal dunes and coastal habitats as well as many other varied habitats both inland and coastal as well as both wet/moist habitats and dry, as well as sandy, habitats. It used to be popular in cultivation and is still sometimes planted in central and southern Florida as a border or groundcover. In the Caribbean, Bahamas, Hawaii and other tropical and subtropical areas it is also sometimes used for those purposes. It thrives in zones 8b through 11 in sun or shade. However, it is not used as much as in the past because of it's invasive nature. It also is unattractive and is a mess in shade with few blooms (it blooms the most in full sun). It is now listed by the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council (FLEPPC) as a Category Two Invasive for central and southern Florida due to it's large invasive potential. It is also probably listed as a pest in Hawaii. It SHOULD NOT BE PLANTED IN WARM TO MILD AREAS WHERE IT CAN BECOME INVASIVE!

Synonyms are Sphagneticola trilobata (L.)Pruski, Acmella brasiliensis Spreng., Acmella spilanthoides Cass., Buphthalmum repens Lam., Buphthalmum strigosum Spreng., Complaya trilobata (L.)Strother, Polymnia carnosa Poir., Polymnia carnosa Poir. var. glabella (Rich.)Poir., Polymnia carnosa Poir. var. aspera (Rich.)Poir., Polymnia carnosa Poir. var. triloba (Rich.)Poir., Seruneum paludosum (DC.)Kuntze, Seruneum trilobatum (L.)Kuntze, Silphium trilobatum L., Sphagneticola ulei O.Hoffm., Stemmodontia trilobata (L.)Small, Thelechitonia trilobata (L.)H.Rob. & Cuatrec., Verbesina carnosa M.Gómez var. aspera (Rich.)M.Gómez, Verbesina carnosa M.Gómez var. triloba (Rich.)M.Gómez, Verbesina carnosa M.Gómez, Wedelia brasiliensis S.F.Blake, Wedelia carnea Rich., Wedelia carnosa Rich. ex Spreng., Wedelia carnosa Rich. var. glabella Rich., Wedelia carnosa Rich. var. triloba Rich., Wedelia carnosa Rich. var. aspera Rich., Wedelia crenata Rich., Wedelia paludicola Poepp. & Endl., Wedelia triloba (Rich.)Bello and Wedelia trilobata (L.)Hitchc.

This plant can tolerate drought or dry conditions but usually prefers rather moist or wet to evenly moist soil.

This plant also goes by the name Wedelia trilobata, and more lately Sphagneticola trilobata. It is definitely an invasive exotic in central and south Florida, and really loves wet areas, sun or shade. Some got into a wet area of my garden, and it has been very difficult to control. It can be attractive in full sun for ditchbank stabilization, since it seems to produce more flowers in the sun. In the shade, however, it is a mess, very rampant and fast growth and few flowers.

This is a small, fast growing herb, not too exigent about light, soil, as long as you keep the soil moist. It constantly produces yellow daisies. When there are optimal conditions, the whole field can be covered with golden flowers. But this plant can be invasive if let grown alone. Since it goes well in most soils and light conditions, it can be an undesirable presence in a garden.