Heterotheca villosa
(syn. Chrysopsis villosa)
hairy goldaster
compoSitae
Yellow daisylike flower heads; gray-green
hairy leaves
3–5 ft. high; 4 ft. wide
Full sun
Blooms August–September
Zones 5–9
pruning Plants are full and nicely
formed if cut back by half in late spring
to early summer (early to mid-June in
Ohio) and can be nicely layered by
cutting the outer stems slightly lower
than the inside stems. If pruned again
with the removal of about 6 in. off the
tips in early August (when in tight
bud), plants respond well by sending
out 3 or 4 lateral flowering stems that
start blooming about 1 week later than
those of unpruned plants and thus
bloom 1 week longer into the season.
This effect can be achieved on individ-
ual plants by shearing a section or only
the outside of the plant down by 6 in. Ifseveral plants are grown in a group, or
in different areas of the garden,
flowering can be delayed on some to
extend the bloom season of hairy
goldaster. Some gardeners experience
a blackening of the plants with the
coming of a frost, in which case the
plants should be cut down at that
point. I have had a different experi-
ence, however. I don’t even deadhead
the plants because I find the old
flowers, which form pretty daisylike
brown dried seedheads, to be a nice
feature of the plant, and they hold
until spring with no unattractive
blackening of the plants. I cut plants
down in the spring.
other maintenance Very
drought tolerant. Provide good
drainage, particularly in the winter.
Give plants plenty of space to accom-
modate the wide habit. Divide every
4–5 years in the spring if needed.
related plantS Heterotheca villosa
‘Golden Sunshine’ is a choice
long-lived cultivar. It is clump forming.Heuchera micrantha
‘Palace Purple’
‘Palace Purple’ coralbells
Saxifragaceae
Tiny white flowers on spikes;
reddish-purple, ivy-shaped leaves
15–18 in. (12 in.) high; 12–18 in. wide
Full sun–part shade
Blooms June–July
Zones 4–9
pruning The flowers of ‘Palace
Purple’ coralbells get mixed reviews
from gardeners. Some (and I’m one of
them) feel that the flowers detract
from the ornamental foliage and so
remove the flowers in bud. Others find
the flowers ornamental in their own
right and let them do their thing. The
foliage color will bleach or fade if
grown with afternoon sun and the
leaves will scorch if allowed to dry out.
Shearing off the old top growth in late
summer or early autumn reveals
colorful foliage below. Plants hold
their color into winter to different
degrees depending on the conditionsHeterotheca villosa