How to Grow and Care for the Blow Wives Wildflower

Achyrachaena mollis is an annual wildflower that is native to the low hills and grasslands of far western North America. Its common name, blow wives, derives from the way the silky dried flower scales blow free of the plant to disperse seeds on the wind. The plant produces a straight stem topped by a rounded bud that opens into a spherical cluster of tiny yellow flowers The main visual appeal of this plant is not their flowers, but rather the globes of dried scales that form as the plant prepares to disperse seeds. At this time, the flower resembles the puffy head of a dandelion plant after the flowers have faded and dried.

Blow wives is a quick-growing wildflower that is normally planted by sowing seeds in fall through early winter. Specialty nurseries might also offer potted plants. Planted either way, blow wives will quickly grow to bloom from late March to June, after which they will freely self-seed. Once a patch is planted, you'll probably not need to plant seeds again, thanks to the ready way these plants distribute their seeds.

Blow Wives Care

Blow wives are commonly found in low-elevation grasslands, oak woodland habitats, and sunny slopes throughout Oregon and Northern California's Klamath-Siskiyou region, often in clay soils at elevations of up to 4,000 feet. In such an area, you might not need to plant this species at all because volunteer plants can sprout up in your garden from seeds floating in on the wind. Elsewhere, blow wives can make an unusual specimen in almost any grassy wildflower or meadow garden. The best sources for seeds or live plants are specialty native plant nurseries or online retailers.

There is not much involved in growing these plants other than planting the seeds or potted plants. If the location is at all suitable, they will very likely self-seed and colonize nicely. While invasiveness is a possibility, this is not a plant that is extremely troublesome, and it is rarely included on lists of invasive species. This plant does have any serious problems with pests or diseases, nor any notable cultural problems.

Light

The blow wives plant will thrive in both full sun and partial shade.

Water

Native to California, these plants are quite drought tolerant. However, they will grow best with regular weekly watering.

Soil

Blow wives will grow well when planted in a wide range of soils. Average soil will suffice, but it should be well-drained. They also grow well in clay soil as well as rocky serpentine soils that can be high in metallic compounds.

Temperature and Humidity

These plants grow best in climates with hot, dry summers and cool, wet, foggy winters. They tend to begin flowering in April, which is when the rainy season is ending in their native California.

Fertilizer

No fertilization is needed for blow wives. Like many wildflowers, it might not bloom if it has been fertilized.

How to Grow Blow Wives From Seed

This plant naturally propagates itself by self-seeding, casting its seeds to the wind after completing the blooming cycle. If you do want to sow them yourself directly, harvesting the seeds from existing plants is best done in late spring before they blow away. The dark seeds will be found attached to the ends of the white pappus petals that carry them on the wind. The seeds germinate best if they are planted outdoors sometime in the fall through early winter (October is ideal). You can leave the pappus attached to the seed when planting; just barely covering the seeds with soil.

Potting and Repotting

Though such use is uncommon, growing blow wives in containers is entirely possible. Seeds sown on the surface of pots filled with standard commercial potting soil and barely covered with soil will quickly germinate, sprout, and develop into flowering plants. Alone, blow wives is not an especially attractive plant, so it is best used in mixed containers along with ornamental grasses and other annual wildflowers.

No repotting is ever necessary; at the end of the season, just discard the plants and start over next spring.

Overwintering

Like most native annuals, this vigorous wildflower needs no winter protection. But if you want to limit the spread of the plant across your garden, it's best to remove the plants after blooming is complete to prevent too much self-seeding.

How to Get Blow Wives to Bloom

It's rarely necessary to coax wildflowers such as blow wives to bloom—their vigorous blooming habit is why they succeed so well in native conditions. But blow wives can paradoxically withhold blooms if treated too kindly. Giving this plant fertilizer is likely to cause reduced flowering. If your blow wives does not bloom, the best thing you can do is neglect it.