Hello, I’m Singapore Daisy

Botanical Name

Sphagneticola trilobata

DESCRIBE YOURSELF

I am an attractive plant with dark green leaves and bright yellow flowers. I was introduced as a garden plant, but escaped and I’m now a huge environmental weed. And I thrive in all types of soil, which is why gardeners initially loved me! I and am difficult to get rid of because of this fact. Once established, I produce a thick mat of leaves that smothers any plants in my way. And I regularly produce roots at the stem joints as well as having small underground tubers that support me in times of drought. I love drinking any weed killers that you spray on me.

WHAT I’M TELLING YOU

I am an introduced pest that will thrive in most soils, so I’m not telling you how your soils need to be fixed. Some excellent results have been achieved by growing plants like pumpkins which remove my access to sunlight and therefore starve me. You might want to try this and I might go away!

CONTROL OF SINGAPORE DAISY

I can be well controlled by hand weeding. Just make sure you remove ALL of me as I will reproduce from any stem, leaf or root that remains. I can also be controlled by lifting up some of my “mat” and folding it.back on myself. This helps starve me of sunlight.

I can also be controlled by using a biodynamic pepper ( see Biodynamic Peppers) However, weed peppers work best when combined with a weed tea. Weed teas take the nutrients I have accumulated in my leaves and feed them back to the soil.

I do respond to being sprayed repeatedly with organic weed killer comprised of vinegar, salt and soap, but this needs care as I may be smothering a plant that you want to keep!