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Turnera ulmifolia
Also called Yellow Alder, Sage Rose, West Indian Holly, Turnera
In Singapore: West Indian Holly, Sage Rose, Yellow Alder, Yellow Turnera, Holy Rose, Lidah Kucing (Naturalised in Singapore)
Turnera ulmifolia is a sun-loving, drought-tolerant subshrub or small shrub grown for its bright yellow flowers, which open at sunrise and fade by midday. Give it full sun and well-drained soil in a warm climate.
Turnera ulmifolia, commonly known as the ramgoat dashalong, yellow alder, Cuban buttercup or West Indian holly, is a species of flowering plant in the family Passifloraceae. It is native to Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and parts of northern South America and southern Florida. The plant is widely cultivated as an ornamental in tropical and subtropical regions, and has become naturalized worldwide.
The species is sometimes confused with the closely related Turnera diffusa (damiana), leading to misidentification in horticultural and herbal trade.
Turnera ulmifolia is widely cultivated as an ornamental shrub due to its bright yellow flowers, drought tolerance, and ability to bloom for long periods in warm climates. It grows best in full sun and well-drained soils and is easily propagated by seeds or cuttings. Because it readily self-seeds and tolerates disturbed environments, it can escape cultivation and become naturalized.
Phytochemical studies of Turnera ulmifolia have identified flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, and other polyphenols.
The native range of Turnera ulmifolia extends from Mexico and Central America through the Caribbean to northern South America and southern Florida. The species commonly grows in open, sunny habitats including roadsides, coastal scrub, disturbed areas, grasslands, and forest clearings. It tolerates poor soils and drought conditions and can grow in cracks of pavement, walls, and rocky substrates.
Damiana · Turnera hermannioides · Politician's Flower · Turnera
[Contains information from Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Heritage Trees from data.gov.sg (National Parks Board), made available under the terms of the Singapore Open Data Licence version 1.0]
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Turnera ulmifolia by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
