I suppose there should be a thread for these continents…

I'll start off with the biggest daisy you're every likely to see: Podachaenium eminens







This one is only 12 ft. (3.6m.), but they grow to 40ft. (12.2 m.) in the cloud forests where they are native in Central America.
The flowers have a pleasant light scent.

Here is an unlabeled one in a diferent genus: Montanoa





The leaf form changes depending on the maturity of the stem, and when on a flowering stem.

I will add some other tree daisies when I find my old pictures.

One of my favorite AYCs (another yellow composite): Telanthophora grandifolia. This giant tree daisy is from cloud forests of Southern Mexico, and grows well here in humid places near the water. Love those big silly leaves.

I love any iochroma!

Ditto!



This is labeled Iochroma warscewiczii at SFBG, but they are not known for their careful labeling.

Love the opened ended bells!

Love those! Do either of you know if any iochroma species could be grown in arid high desert heat, and fast enough to grow as an annual? Can't really tell from the database.

I don't know for sure, but I would not think so. There are a few species that come from the edge of the Andean zone that are seasonally dry, but your climate is more desert. As an "annual", I suppose you could get many of the I. cyaneum types to flower pretty quickly with loads of food and water.
I. coccineum (sp.?) seems more drought tolerant. Again, I would not expect it to survive in NM without extraordinary measures.

Thanks for your input, Pat. "Extraordinary measures" describes a lot of my gardening experience here