Slender Woolly-heads Plant Care

Slender Woolly-heads (Psilocarphus tenellus) belongs to the Asteraceae family within the Psilocarphus genus. Slender Woolly-heads is native to western North America from far southwestern British Columbia to Baja California. Slender Woolly-heads is also known as Annual Woolly-heads.

Slender Woolly-heads displays a low-growing mat-forming growth habit, reaching up to 0.5 ft tall with a spread of approximately 1 ft. Slender Woolly-heads produces small white or yellow daisy-like flowers.

Leaf size: approximately 1.5 inches.

Water a young or newly planted Slender Woolly-heads every 7–10 days, soaking the whole root zone, until it is established — usually one to two growing seasons. Established shrubs mainly need water during long dry spells. In a container, water whenever the top few centimetres of soil are dry.

Slender Woolly-heads thrives in full sun to partial shade.

Psilocarphus tenellus tolerates temperatures of 50–80°F. Slender Woolly-heads prefers humidity levels of 40–60%.

Well-draining sandy soil mix with added organic matter. Good drainage is essential for Slender Woolly-heads to prevent waterlogging, which leads to root rot and fungal issues.

Feed Slender Woolly-heads every 6 months during the growing season with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer at the rate on the label. Established shrubs in good soil often need little extra feeding, so let weak growth or pale foliage guide you.

Stop feeding by late summer so new growth can harden before winter.

The PlantoScan app can remind you when to water and when to fertilize each plant.

Choose a spot with full sun to partial shade and well-draining sandy soil mix with added organic matter. Avoid low spots where water collects after rain.

Slender Woolly-heads is suited to USDA Zone 8a – 10b.

Plant container-grown or balled-and-burlapped shrubs in spring or early autumn, setting the root flare at soil level, and water well after planting.

Slender Woolly-heads can spread to about 1 ft (0.3 m) and reach about 1 ft (0 m) tall. Space plants about 1 ft (0.3 m) apart so mature crowns don't crowd each other, and plant at least half that distance from buildings, fences and paths.

Planning a row or hedge? Try the plant spacing calculator.

Prune Slender Woolly-heads while it is dormant in late winter: first remove dead, damaged and crossing branches, then thin lightly for shape.

If it flowers in spring, prune right after flowering instead so you don't remove next year's buds. Never take off more than about a quarter of the shrub in one year.

Slender Woolly-heads is hardy down to USDA zone 8a, so once established it can stay outdoors through winter in that zone and warmer ones.

Water deeply in late autumn before the ground freezes, and spread a 5–8 cm (2–3 in) layer of mulch over the root zone, keeping it away from the trunk.

Young and container-grown shrubs need extra protection: roots in a pot freeze much more easily than roots in the ground.

Slender Woolly-heads can be propagated through seeds. Similar propagation techniques also apply to micropus brevissimus plant care, which shares the same genus.

See all plants toxic to cats and plants toxic to dogs.

Slender Woolly-heads is susceptible to aphids, whiteflies, spider mites. Inspect the foliage regularly, especially along leaf undersides and stems. Treat infestations promptly with insecticidal soap or neem oil to prevent spread.

Yellow leaves, brown tips or drooping? See common plant problems and how to fix them.

Slender Woolly-heads grows outdoors in USDA Zone 8a – 10b. It survives winters down to planting zone 8a. Slender Woolly-heads is native to western North America from far southwestern British Columbia to Baja California.