Layia platyglossa Tidy Tips - seeds

Layia platiglossa 'Tidy Tips' is a small Californian plant that is still relatively unknown to European gardeners, despite its great qualities. Layia is one of the most rewarding annual plants, easy to sow directly in place with no specific requirements in terms of climate and soil, very floriferous, generous to the small fauna of the garden and decorative for long weeks. Its flowers are radiant, with finely toothed yellow cups beautifully edged in white. Sow it alongside blue and orange flowers in your wildflower borders, meadows, sunny borders or rockeries, and let nature do its thing!  

Layia platiglossa is an annual plant originating from North America, particularly from western California. In nature, there are two subspecies, a creeping one found on coastal dunes, and an upright type in plains and disturbed areas. It is the latter that is starting to be cultivated in Europe. In the span of a few months, the Layia germinates, grows, flowers abundantly, produces seeds, and then dies. In mild regions, it can germinate in autumn and flower early in spring. Several plants are necessary to obtain seeds. Layia belongs to the aster family, as evidenced by its flower heads. 

The 'Tidy Tips' cultivar has been selected for its compact shape. This plant grow to an average height of 30 cm (12in) and initially forms a small clump of elongated basal, lanceolate, linear leaves, 4 to 12 cm (2 to 5in) long, irregularly toothed along the edges, slightly greyish, fairly dark green. It will flower for several weeks from April to September, depending on the sowing date. At the end of leafy, sturdy flower stalks, clusters of flowers develop. Each 'flower' or head, measuring 4 to 5 cm (2in) in diameter, consists of long, bright yellow 'petals', or ligules with white tips, forming a well-opened collar around a more amber centre. This flowering attracts and feeds a large number of pollinating insects. This plant is hardy down to -10°C (14°F). Late summer sowing is possible in mild regions, allowing for earlier flowering. It self-seeds spontaneously in light soils.

Layia Tidy Tips is accessible to all gardeners and deserves to be discovered. This plant is of modest stature, truly easy to grow, particularly well-suited for perennial borders and works well sown randomly among other plants. Planted with California poppies and Nemophila, flax or blue borage, it is perfect in a dry flowering meadow. Also consider planting it with baptisias, centaureas, grasses, sainfoin, ornamental garlic, cornflowers, cosmos, damask nigellas, everlasting flowers...you will promote biodiversity and attract beneficial insects to your ornamental garden or vegetable patch!