Bidens aurea

Falso Te Asteraceae

A wonderfully generous late-season perennial, Bidens aurea forms tall, branching stems carrying masses of simple yellow-and-white daisy flowers from summer well into autumn. Native from Arizona through Mexico to Guatemala, it is particularly associated with moist ground, woodland margins and disturbed habitats, growing from around 450–2400m. It has also naturalised widely, including in parts of Britain and Ireland. 

It has an interesting ethnobotanical history. In Mexico, B. aurea is recorded as a medicinal plant, while among Zapotec communities infusions of Bidens including B. aurea have been used for hangovers, heart complaints and emotional distress. In Spain, where it has become naturalised, the leaves are traditionally used to make a pleasant herbal tea, particularly as a digestive infusion. 

Height: 90–150cm
Spread: 60–100cm
Flowers: July–October
Hardiness: H5–H6 — hardy to approximately −15°C with reasonable drainage.

A superb plant for the late-summer border: exuberant, useful, edible-looking — and considerably more interesting than its rather mundane common name, Arizona beggarticks, suggests.

Please note: depending on the time of year, some plants may be cut back before dispatch. This is normal horticultural practice and helps ensure plants arrive in good condition and establish strongly after planting.