How to Grow and Care for Palafox

Sand palafox is a resilient wildflower with slender, upright stems crowned with delicate pinkish-purple blooms. It thrives in arid regions, where its deep roots allow it to access scarce water, and its narrow leaves minimize moisture loss. Its beauty peaks in late summer when many other plants succumb to the heat.

The desert palafox (Palafoxia arida) grows in sandy soils in the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts. It can become one of the tallest plants in those regions, reaching heights of nearly 2 m. Thanks to the muted colors of the flowers, desert palafox is not a common garden species, but it may work well in desert nature gardens.

The small palafox (*Palafoxia callosa*) is an annual wildflower that is a member of the aster family. It is indigenous to parts of central North America and is found growing in chalky soil with lots of rocks in open spaces such as prairies. Its flowers bloom between summer and fall, attracting butterflies.

Coastalplain palafox is a resilient, flowering perennial native to North America. Typically found in sandy soils and dune systems, its narrow leaves and robust, upright stems allow it to thrive in these well-drained environments. In late summer, coastalplain palafox exhibits daisy-like flowers with a burst of pink or white petals surrounding a yellow center, attracting pollinators and providing a tough, yet delicate beauty to the landscape.

Othake is a wildflower that loves sand. It grows in the dry and arid regions of the southern United States, and can be found anywhere there are sandy hills. The genus name comes from José de Palafox y Melzi, Duke of Saragossa, who fought against Napolean's invasion of Spain.