Madia elegans Tropical Fruits - Elegant Tarweed seeds

Madia elegans 'Tropical Fruits' is an annual plant native to America and related to daisies. It is relatively unknown and deserves to be discovered for the aroma of its foliage, reminiscent of exotic fruits, and its long and highly fragrant summer flowering of radiant small yellow daisies touched with burgundy. This lovely plant should be placed near an entrance, or in a pot on the terrace or balcony to enjoy its fragrance as often as possible. Undemanding and easy to care for, it thrives in full sun or partial shade, in any well-drained soil.

Madia elegans belongs to the large Asteraceae family. It is an annual herbaceous plant native to the western part of North America, specifically a region ranging from southern Washington state to northern Baja California. In the wild, it grows in dry forests, disturbed areas, and high-altitude meadows. It is almost a 'weed', which could be mistaken for a Senecio when not in bloom.

The 'Tropical Fruits' selection has flowers that are quite pale yellow for the species, with deliciously aromatic foliage. Each plant develops in a matter of months into a clump of slender leafy stems covered with short and stiff, slightly sticky hairs. It is these hairs that contain the aromatic oil responsible for the distinctive fragrance. The small hairy leaves are narrow and elongated, linear, dark green with a touch of grey. Depending on the sowing date, it will flower from April to October-November. Sown in a heated shelter in March, it will flower from June to October. The inflorescences are small heads of approximately 3 cm (1in), composed of light yellow "rays" or ligules with a brown-red base, surrounding a central yellow disk. Each floral stem carries several highly fragrant heads at its tip, about 70-80 cm (28-32in) above the ground, which attract pollinating insects. The outer ligules curl up during the hottest hours of the day so that the "flower" opens in the morning and again in the late afternoon and remains open all night. They stay open even in cloudy or humid weather. The flowers are followed by fruits called achenes that birds enjoy.

Madia elegans Tropical Fruits will easily blend in with other annuals or perennials, in the ground or in pots. It is not picky about soil and is drought-tolerant, so it will fit in a countryside composition that requires very little maintenance. Pair it with California poppies, Nierembergia caerulea, or even with Catananche caerulea, wild chicory, Felicia, and Achillea in a long border. You can also plant it with Baptisias. To perfume the terrace, place it in a beautiful pot, with bright blue lobelias for example.