Green-and-Gold, of which there are several forms, is a hardy, low-growing, long-blooming herbaceous perennial found along woodland edges and clearings on the East coast from New York south to Florida and west to Louisiana. With attractive, semi-evergreen foliage, bright yellow 1.5-inch daisy-like flowers on fuzzy stalks for much of the growing season, and an unfussy attitude about soils (as long as they are well drained), Green-and-Gold is considered a work horse in the native garden. Wiith sufficient even moisture, it can take full sun but prefers protection, especially in the afternoon, and grows best in dappled or morning sun. Leaves are opposite, oval and softly pubescent with a crenate (round-toothed) margin. Flowering peaks in May, decreasing in the heat of summer and then flowering again late in the season. Weakley presents this form as Chrysogonum australe, a separate species (others consider it a natural variety of C. virginianum). It is found in Northern and central Georgia through the Florida panhandle to some counties in southern Alabama and Mississippi (“australe” means “southern”). It’s growth form is distinctly stoloniferous, with flowering stalks only 4-5 inches high, the stolons (above-ground rhizomes) up to 2 feet. ‘Eco-Laquered Spider’ is a cultivar of C. australe, and it is easily grown as a successful, attractive groundcover on its own or as a base for larger plants. The USDA plant distribution map linked below is for the variety australe.
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Chrysogonum australe
Key Info
Scientific Name: Chrysogonum australe Alexander ex Small, synonym Chrysogonum virginianum L. var. australe (Alexander ex Small) H.E. Ahles
Common Names: Southern Green-and-Gold, Gulf Coast Green-and-Gold, Golden Knees, Golden Star
Family Names: Asteraceae (Composite, or Daisy Family)
Leaf Retention: Semi-evergreen
Flower Color: Yellow
Special Characteristics: Tolerates dry conditions, Stoloniferous, Long blooming period, Tolerates shade, Nectar plant, Semi-evergreen, Reported to be deer resistant., Groundcover, Attracts bees, Attracts butterflies
Additional Info
Habit: The leaves of the southern form of this plant, C. australe, form a basal rosette with a very short upright stem, spreading by long stolons. The variety C. virginianum var. virginianum is a clumper without stolons, and the third form, C. virginianum var. brevistolon is intermediate, with short stolons. Central NC is in a region of overlap of the varieties brevistolon and virginianum.
Height: 0.5'
Spread: Indeterminate
Soil Conditions: Moist, well-drained to dry soils that are acidic to neutral, rich, sand, clay, loam.
Leaves: Leaves are opposite, simple, elliptic to ovate, medium green, 1-3 inches long, pubescent, with crenate (rounded teeth) margins on fuzzy hairy stems.
Flowers (or reproductive structures: The solitary flowers are terminal but appear axillary due to elongation of lateral branches (Radford). Each bright yellow flower head has 5 pistillate, notched ray flowers and 25-50 staminate disc flowers.
Fruit: Nutlets are dark brown or black, oval, flattened and pubescent. They mature 2-3 weeks after the yellow ray flowers fade and drop.
Natural Distribution: Mesic hardwood forests, on ravine slopes and on higher terraces along streams; moist to fairly dry, sandy or rocky woodlands and forests.
USDA Hardiness Zone: 5 to 9
USDA Wetland Indicator Status in NC: not available.
Pollination: Bees, butterflies, other insects
Wildlife Connections: The flower nectar attracts bees, butterflies and other insects. These plants provide cover for smaller woodland mammals and reptiles, which, along with ground feeding birds, also consume the nutlets (seeds). The seeds are associated with elaiasomes, a fleshy, oil-rich structure that functions to attract ants which disperse the seeds.
Propagation: Green-and-Gold is usually propagated by digging up the rooted plantlets.
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