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Native Plant Society of Texas

Horseherb

Calyptocarpus vialis

Other common name(s):

Straggler Daisy

Family:

Asteraceae (Aster Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

This map uses data from the US EPA. EPA  servers have been offline frequently so maps may not display. We are working on a solution.

Chihuahuan Deserts, Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Southern Texas Plains, Texas Blackland Prairies, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Chihuahuan Basins and Playas, Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands, Chihuahuan Montane Woodlands, Low Mountains and Bajadas, Stockton Plateau
Eastern Cross Timbers, Grand Prairie, Limestone Cut Plain, Western Cross Timbers
Bastrop Lost Pines, Northern Post Oak Savanna, San Antonio Prairie, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Balcones Canyonlands, Edwards Plateau Woodland, Llano Uplift, Semiarid Edwards Plateau
Coastal Sand Plain, Floodplains and Low Terraces4, Laguna Madre Barrier Island and Coastal Marshes, Lower Rio Grande Alluvial Floodplain, Lower Rio Grande Valley, Mid-Coast Barrier Islands and Coastal Marshes, Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Southern Subhumid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Texas-Louisiana Coastal Marshes
Northern Nueces Alluvial Plains, Rio Grande Floodplain and Terraces, Semiarid Edwards Bajada, Texas-Tamaulipan Thornscrub
Northern Blackland Prairie, Southern Blackland Prairie
Flatwoods, Southern Tertiary Uplands

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Groundcover, Herbaceous

Height

0.5
to
1
ft.

Spread

1
to
2
ft.

Leaf Retention

Semi Evergreen

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Clay, Dry, Loam, Moist, Sand, Well Drained

Light Requirement

Sun, Shade

Water Requirement

Low, Medium

Native Habitat

Disturbed Areas, Grassland, Woodland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Yellow

Bloom Season

Spring, Summer, Fall

Seasonal Interest

Nectar

Wildlife Benefit

Butterflies, Nectar Insects

Maintenance

A great groundcover. Colonizes by stolons. Can be mowed during the growing season, but loses its soft natural look. Withstands moderate foot traffic. Grows well in sun or shade. Will be evergreen during mild winters, may go dormant in cold winters or extended drought. Native habitat: woodlands, fields, meadows, often in disturbed soils.

Description

Blooms March-November. Low growing with trailing stems, roots growing from the nodes. Leaves are oval to triangular, and slightly pubescent. Tiny, daisy flowers, solitary at each node. The fruit is a cypsela: a dry, one-seeded fruit, usually topped by pappus.
Previous Scientific Name(s): Synedrella vialis, Synedrellopsis grisebachii

References

1) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CAVI2. 2) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Calyptocarpus+vialis&formsubmit=Search+Terms. 3) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=2422&locationType=County&mapType=Normal. 4) Wasowski and Wasowski, Native Texas Plants Landscaping Region by Region, 1991, pg. 99. 5) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=501164#null, 6) Native and Adapted Landscape Plants, City of Austin and Texas A&M, 2014., 7) https://rootedin.com/tough-texas-native-plants-for-shade-creating-a-cool-haven-before-the-heat/, 8) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calyptocarpus_vialis#:~:text=Calyptocarpus%20vialis%20is%20a%20species,%2C%20Venezuela%2C%20and%20the%20Caribbean., 9) https://w3.biosci.utexas.edu/prc/K12/pages/Calyptocarpus%20vialis.html

Learn about how to propagate Texas native plants.

Material Treatment Method Collection References
Stem Cutting Remove the lower leaves from the cutting, leaving a couple of sets at the top. Water Propagation: Place the cuttings in a jar or glass with water, ensuring the leaf nodes (bumps on the stem where leaves grow) are submerged. Change the water every few days. Roots should appear in 1-2 weeks. Soil Propagation: Plant the cuttings in a well-draining potting mix, burying the bottom leaf node. Keep the soil consistently moist. Taking cuttings is arguably the easiest and most efficient way to propagate straggler daisies. Using clean, sharp shears, take 3-4 inch stem cuttings from healthy, non-flowering stems. 1) https://propagate.one/how-to-propagate-calyptocarpus-vialis/ 2) https://earthone.io/plant/calyptocarpus%20vialis
Seed No Treatment HOW TO EASILY “SEED” AN AREA: Simply find a fast growing, blooming stand of Horseherb and mow it periodically using a lawnmower with a grass catcher attachment. Then thinly spread the Horseherb catchings (clippings) onto the area to be planted. Let the clippings dry for a few days then water or let the next rainfall germinate the very small seed which were collected during mowing. Horseherb will establish itself in stony, shady areas where grass will not grow well. NOTE: Horseherb DOES NOT kill or crowd out grasses; the grass thins or dies and the Horseherb covers the bare spots! Though this species may be propagated by seed, it is rarely done because the seeds are difficult to collect in quantity. Seeds are rarely if ever commercially available. https://www.plantanswers.com/Articles/HorseherbOrStragglerDaisy.asp#:~:text=Horseherb%20(Calyptecarpus%20vialis)%20is%20not,planted%20all%20over%20the%20area.
Clump Division Divide the plant during repotting by separating the root ball into smaller sections and planting them individually https://earthone.io/plant/calyptocarpus%20vialis

About the Region

2026 Fall Symposium Logo

This low-elevations region of Texas extends inland from the barrier islands, about 60 or so miles, and stretches from Brownsville to Louisiana. In total, it covers about 9.5 million acres, with a high point of 150 feet in elevation. More than 1000 species of plants can be found in this region. On the southern end, species more common in Mexico (such as Sabal mexicana) and Central America occur.

The barrier islands provide us with dune systems, and clay flats to the inland side, which have species found in these areas alone. Many plants here, such as Ipomoea pes-caprae (beach morning glory), can be found throughout tropical regions of the globe. I’ve encountered the same species on the beaches of Guam.

Once inland, vast marshes and wet prairies occur. Occasionally, oak (Quercus fusiformis) groves can be found. Common grasses include species of Bothriochloa, Paspalum, and Sporobolus; eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides); and switchgrass (Panicum species). Many rivers and creeks cut through the Gulf Prairies, and along these riparian areas various species of trees, Sabal minor, and other plants adapted to clay soils can be found. Due to overgrazing, farming, and fire suppression, woody species such as mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and huisache (Acacia farnesiana), and invasive species such as chinaberry (Melia azedarach), Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), and Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) have increased and displaced our native flora.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason