Frostweed Ice
I had high hopes of getting some of the snow that fell in parts of Texas but only saw a few flurries. But we had our first freeze on Friday night and awoke Saturday to twenty-seven degrees. When the sun came up, I saw white at the base of the many frost weed plants and had to go out to play with them and take pictures of their beautiful frozen "cotton candy".
Frostweed "Cotton Candy"
Frostweed is also know as Indian tobacco, tickweed, and white crown beard. Its scientific name is Verbesina virginica and is in the aster family. Although it grows from Texas north and east to New York state, I never noticed it until I moved to the Hill Country. The first time I noticed it was when my daughter and I walked after the first freeze.
Since then I've found it is an important source of necter for fall migrating Monarch butterflies and is the larval host for Bordered Patch, Silvery Checkerspot, and Summer Azure. It is a good xeric plant and grows in sun to part shade. Here, in the Hill Country, it almost always is growing in the shade of escarpment live oaks. It is a good plant to mix in with other fall bloomers. And the seedheads add winter interest. You can collect seeds now and either plant them now or wait until after the last frost.
The Seed Head
I think the blooms are pretty and the dry seed heads add interest although the leaves and stems are coarse. I'm leaving some in them in back of my viewing garden to attract butterflies.They will also look good mixed with grasses that take part shade.
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