Yellowtop

Why it works here

Yellowtop grows naturally in the strip right along Florida's coast, so on the Treasure Coast it is doing exactly what it was built for. It handles salt spray, sand, heat, and drought, and it flowers yellow in fall and winter when a lot of the garden has quit. I lean on it for beachside beds, hot sunny corners, and pollinator plantings where I want color in the cooler months. It is a nectar stop for cassius blue, julia, and great southern white butterflies.

Care

Plant it in full sun in sandy, well-drained soil and then mostly leave it alone. Water to get it rooted, then only in a long drought. It does not want rich soil or extra fertilizer, a little compost at planting is plenty. The one honest chore: it looks weedy and ragged after it finishes blooming, so cut it back close to the ground once flowering is done and it flushes back clean. Skip synthetic feeds entirely, it does not need them.

Common problems

Weedy look after bloom: this is the real caveat. Cut it to the ground when the flowers fade and it comes back tidy.

Rot in wet feet: it hates soggy soil. Plant it high and well-drained, never in a low spot that stays wet.

Short-lived but self-sows: individual plants are not long-lived, but it reseeds gently, so you tend to keep a patch going without replanting.