Common Madia – Madia elegans (MAD-ee-uh EL-eh-gans)

Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

Native to: Much of Western U.S. from S. WA to Baja. Locally it grows in the Santa Monica and San

Gabriel Mtns; dry, open, usually grassy places in shrublands & woodlands, often along roadsides,

usually in coarse or clay soils.

Growth characteristics: annual wildflower mature height: 2-3 ft. mature width: 2-3 ft.

Herbaceous annual wildflower with long, narrow leaves. Foliage is fuzzy and glandular – distinct

aroma of foliage and flowers somewhat like tropical fruit. Upright, slightly coarse looking plant.

Blooms/fruits: Blooms are fabulous. Summer bloomer – July-Sept; long bloom period. Flowers

grow in typical sunflower heads ~ 1 inch in diameter. Ray flowers bright golden yellow, often with

maroon blotches. Disk flowers yellow or maroon. Loads of flowers – really showy. Small sunflower

seeds are delicious to eat – parched and eaten whole or ground for pinole or ground seed recipes.

Uses in the garden: Anywhere that you need a bright little sunflower. Large size and open growth

habit make it good for mixed beds. Nice cut flowers. Would be good for containers, areas around a

vegetable garden or dry slopes. Flowers close at mid-day. Nice, cheerful addition to the garden.

Sensible substitute for: Non-native sunflowers.

Attracts: Excellent habitat plant; many birds attracted by seeds including including doves, quail,

blackbirds, finches, Oregon juncos, western meadowlarks, American pipits, sparrows, towhees.

Requirements:

Element Requirement

Sun Full sun to light shade.

Soil Any well-drained soil; any local pH.

Water Best as Zone 1-2 to 2; withhold water after flowering for good seed production.

Fertilizer None needed – but won’t harm it.

Other Inorganic (gravel) mulch or bare ground.

Management: Quite easy to grow. Plant seed at time of first winter rains. Will reseed on bare

ground, but collect some seed for replanting in case the birds gobble up all the seed!

Propagation: from seed: no pre-treatment necessary. Just barely cover seeds.

Plant/seed sources (see list for source numbers): 5, 10, 11, 16, 19 2/17/11

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