• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Cure Nursery

Native Plants of the Southeast

  • Home
  • All Plants
    • Search Our Plants by Plant Characteristics
    • Alphabetical by Scientific Name
    • Search Our Plants by Common Names
  • Availability & Pricing – Winter/Spring 2021
  • Resources
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

Chrysogonum virginianum virginianum
Green-and-Gold, Golden Knee, Golden Star

Photo by Cure Nursery

Green-and-gold is a hardy, low-growing, long-blooming herbaceous perennial found along woodland edges and clearings on the East coast from New York south to Florida and west to Louisiana. With attractive, semi-evergreen foliage, bright yellow 1.5-inch star-like flowers on fuzzy stalks for much of the growing season, and an unfussy attitude about soils (as long as they are well drained), Green-and-Gold is considered a work horse in the native garden. Wiith sufficient even moisture, it can take full sun but prefers protection, especially in the afternoon, and grows best in dappled or morning sun. Leaves are opposite, oval and softly pubescent with a crenate (round-toothed) margin. Flowering peaks in May, decreasing in the heat of summer and then flowering again late in the season. There are 3 forms of this plant (see “Habit”). This one, the natural variety C. virginianum virginianum is the most northerly of these three forms. Twelve to fourteen inches in height, it is considered a groundcover if planted closely, but this form is upright, not stoloniferous. It spreads by seeds, though offsets are easily divided for transplant. The USDA plant distribution map linked below is for virginianum.

Last Updated: June 14, 2019

Key Info

Scientific Name: Chrysogonum virginianum L. var. virginianum
Common Names: Green-and-Gold, Golden Knee, Golden Star
Family Name: Asteraceae (Composite, or Daisy Family)
Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial, Groundcover
Uses: Woodland Garden, Naturalizing, Butterfly garden, Groundcover
Light Requirement: Dappled sun, Full shade-bright, Partial/sunny, Partial/shady
Moisture Requirement: Dry, Medium
Leaf Retention: Semi-evergreen
Bloom Times: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
Flower Color: Yellow
Special Characteristics: Tolerates shade, Groundcover, Tolerates dry conditions, Attracts pollinators, Reported to be deer resistant.

Additional Info

Habit: One natural variety of Green and Gold (var. 'Australe') spreads by long stolons, another one (var. Virginiana) is a clumper, and one is in between (var. Brevistolon). see Clemson U. Cooperative Extension's excellent treatment of this. Central NC is in a region of overlap of the varieties Brevistolon and Virginiana. 'Australe' is from south central Georgia.
Height: 1'
Spread: 1'
Growth Rate: Medium to fast
Soil Conditions: Moist, well-drained soils that are acidic to neutral.
Leaves: Opposite, simple, hairy, crenate (rounded teeth) leaves on fuzzy hairy stems.
Flowers (or reproductive structures): Stems terminate in clusters of yellow daisy-like blooms. Individual flowers are 1-2" across with 13-21 ray florets surrounding a cluster of disc florets.
Fruit: Nutlets mature 2-3 weeks after the yellow ray flowers fade and drop.
Natural Distribution: woods
USDA Hardiness Zone: 5 to 9
Pollination: Bees, butterflies, other insects
Wildlife Connections: Attracts song birds, reptiles, and mammals.
Propagation: By seed or by division.
USDA/NRCS Plant Distribution Map: View Map at USDA.gov

Availability

We are projecting that this plant will again be available: Fall 2021

Footer

contact us

facebook.com/curenursery
curenursery@earthlink.net
Office: (919) 542-6186

Appointments: (919) 885-8642

Who we are

Cure Nursery is a small nursery propagating and selling native plants for the Southeastern U.S. We are located near the town of Pittsboro, Chatham County, in central NC.

our hours

Cure Nursery operates by appointment only. Call us or email us to arrange a time to come out, or for delivery.

Copyright © 2021 Cure Nursery · All Rights Reserved · Resources · Website by Tomatillo Design