Beautyhead
Baltimora recta
- Native to:
- Belize, Brazil, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panamá, Peru
Dick Culbert (www.flickr.com)
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Asteraceae
- Genus:
- Baltimora
- Species:
- Baltimora recta
- USDA Symbol:
- BARE2
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Annual
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb
- Height:
- 150 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Low
- Bloom Months:
- jun,jul,aug,sep
- Bloom Colors:
- yellow
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- bees, butterflies
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Tolerates periodic fire in wet prairie systems and resprouts from roots after burns.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- moist, fertile, well-drained loam
- pH:
- 6.0 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- good drainage required
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- native to disturbed areas and open fields
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days
- Germination Time:
- 14–30 days
- Notes:
- Seeds benefit from cold-moist stratification and surface sowing with light for germination.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI