Bidens ferulifolia
Fern-leaved beggarticks
Common names: Apache beggarticks, Bidens
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Pot size
- from 5 l
- Lifespan
- Annual
- Flowering
- May–Oct
- Hardiness
- Cold damage below 2 °C
- Water need
- High
Photo: Kurt Stüber [1] · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Description
Bidens ferulifolia comes from Mexico and belongs to the daisy family. It grows bushy with trailing shoots that reach 40 to 60 cm in length, depending on the variety, at a height of 20 to 40 cm. The finely cut, fennel-like leaves form an airy mat, above which many star-shaped flowers in bright golden yellow appear from May to October. Some varieties bloom orange or in two colors. Bees, bumblebees and hoverflies readily visit the flowers. The genus name Bidens refers to the two small barbs on the fruits. Bidens ferulifolia is a robust, heat-tolerant balcony plant for hanging baskets, boxes and containers in full sun, and it blooms reliably even in heat as long as it receives enough water. It is not frost hardy and is usually grown as an annual.
Care instructions
Plant Bidens ferulifolia in mid-May after the Ice Saints, from calendar week 20, in a sunny spot, since the more sun it gets, the more abundantly it flowers. Set plants about 30 cm apart in loose, nutrient-rich soil. Water regularly, and on hot days water twice: the root ball should never dry out completely, but it should not stand in water. Fertilize once a week. Remove faded flowers and, in midsummer, cut back overly long or bare shoots by about one third, which encourages dense regrowth. In cool, rainy weather water less, otherwise the center of the plant may rot. In autumn, bring the plant indoors before frost or take cuttings.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
FloweringMay–Oct
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
well-drained, humus-rich, nutrient-rich
Bidens grows in loose, humus-rich and nutrient-rich soil that lets water through well. Ordinary balcony-flower compost is ideal; in the bed, loosen heavy soils with sand and compost. A slightly acidic to neutral pH suits it well. It is important that no water stands in the pot: otherwise the dense centre of the plant rots in permanent wet, especially in cool, rainy weeks.
Feeding
Heavy feeder
Months
May–Sep
Bidens flowers for months and needs plenty of food to do so. When planting, mix ripe compost into the soil. From June, add a liquid fertiliser for flowering plants to the water about once a week. In the bed, a thin layer of compost every few weeks is enough instead, supplemented if needed by diluted nettle feed. If flowering eases off in late summer, the cause is usually a lack of nutrients or soil that is too dry. From the end of September, stop feeding.
Overwintering
Botanically, Bidens is perennial, but in Central Europe it is not hardy. To overwinter it, bring it indoors before the first frost, cut it back by about a third and keep it bright at 5 to 10 °C, for example in an unheated stairwell or a conservatory. Water sparingly, but do not let the root ball dry out. After the Ice Saints in mid-May it goes back outside. It is easier and saves space to take cuttings in late summer.
Propagation
Methods
- Cuttings
The best way to propagate Bidens is by cuttings, so the cultivar is preserved. From July to September, cut tip shoots 8 to 10 cm long without flowers and buds, remove the lower leaves and insert them into seed compost or into a glass of water. In a bright, warm spot they form roots in about two to three weeks. Overwinter the young plants bright and cool and put them outside after the Ice Saints (mid-May). Seed is only rarely offered; most cultivars are cutting-raised cultivars that you buy as young plants in spring.
Companion planting
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
Some of these explanations were machine-translated.
For your garden
Grow Fern-leaved beggarticks yourself
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