Origin:
Native to tropical America, and found in Latin America, but used as an ornamental groundcover and sold throughout the warmer areas of the United States as well as in Hawaii.
Biology:
A perennial plant that grows in low, mat-forming colonies that form a solid cover over the soil. In warm climates the growth is rapid, and plants easily outgrow the intended area to escape to surrounding habitats. Reproduction is from seeds, but plants also root at the nodes of the creeping stems.
Identification:
Mature plants stay low with prostrate, creeping stems. Stems are reddish and covered with long, white hairs. Leaves are shiny, dark green and deeply lobed, especially near the base. The leaves are on a short, thick stalk. Flowers are bright yellow and about 1 inch in diameter, occurring singly on very long stalks.
Characteristicts Important to Control:
Control is not usually needed, beyond pruning, but where the plants have escaped they may be controlled with a systemic herbicide.
