Bees, wasps, flies, moths, skippers, butterflies, and other pollinators flock to Flaveria linearis, yellowtop. Fall is the usual time for flowering, but some of the yellowtops donated by Judy Gersony and planted on 5-23-2015 in the Audubon House landscape are flowering right now at the edge of the dry retention area in full sun …
New stems are distinctively reddish and almost succulent; Older stems become dry and woody and should be cut back once the wind-borne seeds have been distributed to encourage fresh growth.
Yellowtop grows in the somewhat shady and marshy areas of the Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area but also can be found on the backside of the beach dunes in full sun at the Sebastian Inlet State Park, where over time it has spread underground to ‘waves’ of yellow …
This fast-growing wildflower also is flourishing — but not yet flowering — in the quite shady wildflower garden next to the office for the Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area volunteers at the Audubon House.
From a distance it is hard to tall that this pollinator plant is a member of the aster (daisy) family, Asteraceae. We expect ‘daisies’ to have lots of petals (rays) and a central ‘buffet’ (disc) of lots of tiny, nectar-laden flowers. Yellowtop flowers are held in flat-topped corymbs with but a few petals that are evident only upon close inspection.
Yellowtop is a very versatile and drought-tolerant wildflower that can be grown in partial shade or full sun.
Categories: Audubon House, Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area, Pollinator Plants
Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area 
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