Ray's Carpet Coastal Gum Plant Grindelia stricta var. platyphylla 'Ray's Carpet' Height: 8 inches Spacing: 3 feet
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Hardiness Zone: 9a Other Names: Beach Gum Daisy, Oregon Gumweed Description: A ground hugging, widely spreading evergreen perennial/subshrub, presenting fleshy, spoon-shaped green leaves and sunny yellow daisy flowers from late spring to fall; best in sandy soil, but will tolerate clay; also tolerates summer dryness Ornamental Features Ray's Carpet Coastal Gum Plant features showy yellow daisy flowers with gold eyes held atop the stems from late spring to late fall. Its attractive serrated narrow leaves remain green in color with hints of gray throughout the year. Landscape Attributes Ray's Carpet Coastal Gum Plant is a dense herbaceous evergreen perennial with a ground-hugging habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition. This is a relatively low maintenance plant. Trim off the flower heads after they fade and die to encourage more blooms late into the season. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration; Ray's Carpet Coastal Gum Plant is recommended for the following landscape applications; Planting & Growing Ray's Carpet Coastal Gum Plant will grow to be about 8 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 4 feet. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 3 feet apart. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round. This plant performs well in both full sun and full shade. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. This plant should not require much in the way of fertilizing once established, although it may appreciate a shot of general-purpose fertilizer from time to time early in the growing season. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in sandy soils, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selection of a native North American species. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation. Ray's Carpet Coastal Gum Plant is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its spreading habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
