Thymophylla tenuiloba (ty-mo-FIL-uh ten-yoo-ee-LOW-buh) better known as the Dahlberg Daisy is a short term perennial, usually grown as an annual in full sun.
The plant is also known as Dyssodia tenuiloba (dis-OD-e-uh ten-yoo-ee-LOW-buh). It is native to Mexico and Texas and has been naturalized in a number of states in the USA.

Common names include:
- Dahlberg Daisy
- Golden Fleece
- Bristleleaf
- Dogweed
- Pricklyleaf
This plant is a composite flower and member of the family Asteraceae (ass-ter-AY-see-ee) family along with the:
Dahlberg Daisy Care
Size & Growth
This erect, easy to grow, spreading plant grows to be about 12″ inches high. Individual plants also have a spread of about one foot. The golden fleece makes an attractive ground cover.
The attractive leaves are glossy, shiny, and fragrant.
Flowering & Fragrance
Golden Fleece produces masses of daisy-like yellow flowers from early summer until the first frost in the autumn.
The pretty flowers are about half an inch across. The petals are orange/yellow, and the flowers have pronounced yellow center disks.
All in all, the blossoms are quite showy and are attractive to bees, butterflies and other pollinators.
Light & Temperature
Dogweed grows best in full sun. This plant is winter hardy in USDA hardiness zones 9 through 10
Watering & Feeding
Once established, golden fleece is quite drought tolerant and will get along well with only natural rainfall. In times of extreme drought, provide occasional deep watering.
Treat this easily naturalized plant as the wildflower that it is. Fertilizing lightly in early spring with a slow-release fertilizer.
Soil & Transplanting
Golden Fleece likes sandy, gravelly, well drained soil with pH ranging from 6.6 to 7.8.
You can transplant seedlings; however, it is quicker, easier and ultimately more successful to simply direct sow the seed into the prepared soil where you wish the plant to grow.
Grooming & Maintenance
When the summer weather is very hot, golden fleece may flower once and then cease blooming. To encourage more blooms under any circumstances, deadhead the flowers when they fade.
In areas where the plant will self seed and return on its own in the following year, you may wish to shear or mow the plant down before it goes to seed to control its spread.
How To Propagate Dahlberg Daisy
This hardy wildflower self seeds easily in ideal conditions. In very cold climates, you may wish to start plants indoors a couple of months before the last predicted frost.
Transplant seedlings into the garden after all danger of frost has passed.
If you wish to sow seed directly into your prepared garden bed, do so a couple of weeks prior to the last predicted frost.
Dahlberg Daisy Pests or Diseases
This hardy wildflower does not suffer from disease or pest problems in ideal circumstances.
If the soil is kept too wet, root rot will set in.
Is The Dahlberg Daisy Plant Toxic or Poisonous?
All parts of Bristleleaf are poisonous if they are ingested. Furthermore, handling the spiny plant can cause allergic reactions and skin irritation. Contact with the pollen (including inhalation) can also cause allergic reactions.
Plant this wildflower well out of the reach of pets and children. Wear protective gloves and a dust mask when pruning, deadheading or otherwise handling this plant.
Is The Dahlberg Daisy Considered Invasive?
The Golden Fleece plant is native to Mexico and Texas, so it cannot be considered invasive in those settings. It has naturalized in several southeastern states in the United States and grows freely. In these and other conducive settings, this plant could become invasive.
Take care to keep this self-sowing wildflower contained in your garden setting if you live in an area that would support its free spread.
Suggested Dahlberg Daisy Uses
Golden Fleece makes a pretty ground cover in areas that have shallow, dry, rocky soil. Suitable for xeriscaping, this plant is a nice addition to desert gardens and rock gardens. It can also do well as an edging or bedding plant.