Zexmenia

I don't know how I managed to get this picture - it's rare for me to want to go out and try to get pictures of the pollinators for any period of time, and I didn't take many photos of the bee on Zexmenia.  But that's not what this post is about.  This post is about how much I love zexmenia.

Zexmenia (Wedelia texana) is a Texas native (also called Texas creeping oxeye) that requires little water to survive though it can handle both dry and wet conditions (this is good considering how 'feast or famine' we are with water in these parts), but does need well draining soil.  It requires full sun to partial shade though it can get leggy in the shade (as it does with excess water as well).  The plant can get rather large - it acts like a shrub - but it does benefit from being cut back every once in a while.  In addition to attracting bees and butterflies, it is the larval host for the Bordered Patch butterfly.  And most importantly, I think this color of orange/yellow is going to look smashing with the magenta/red of the Dr. Huey rose....Just as soon as I remove all the dead Asiatic Jasmine, and purchase enough plants, I'm going to have a whole mess of these.