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Asteraceae
Mount Atlas Daisy
Anacyclus pyrethrum
Hidden fire beneath gentle beauty.
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Genus
- Anacyclus
- Native to
- Mediterranean, North Africa, Atlas Mountains
- Bloom season
- Spring, Summer
- Type
- perennial herb
- Height
- 0.3-1 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- dry, sandy, well-drained
- Water
- low
- Hardiness
- 6-9
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- The white ray florets have a distinctive deep crimson-red reverse (underside) — the flowers close at night and during cloudy weather, revealing a starburst of red on the back of each ray that creates a bicolor effect when the buds are closed.
- Anacyclus pyrethrum var. depressus from the Atlas Mountains grows as a flat, mat-forming plant in rocky scree at elevations above 8,000 feet, demonstrating extraordinary cold and drought tolerance.
- The root contains pyrethrin-related isobutylamide compounds that produce a strong tingling and numbing sensation in the mouth — it was used as a dental anesthetic and toothache remedy across North Africa and southern Europe.
- This plant is the original botanical source of 'pellitory root' in traditional medicine, distinct from pyrethrin insecticide (from Tanacetum cinerariifolium) despite the confusingly similar name.
- In rock garden design, the Mount Atlas daisy is prized as a 'sun-tracker' — the flowers follow the sun from morning to evening and close completely in shade or rain, making it a natural weather indicator.
Color meanings
0
hidden strength
1
surprise
2
endurance