| Author | (A. Gray) Pruski | |
| Distribution | Collected from just 2 sites: Alexander County, stone quarry at Rocky Face Mountain, 1968-1983; and Wake County, granitic flatrock at Mitchells Mill SP, 1988-1990. At the latter, it was introduced in the 1960s; see Weakley (2018) for information. In 2024, a large population was discovered in Macon County; photos documented this record. However, one botanist said there are other botanists who are aware of this population and suspect it may be introduced or may have assumed that it is introduced. For now, as the species is native within about 20 miles southward in SC, the website editors will consider this Macon record as Provenance Uncertain.
Native of granitic flatrocks and outcrops from SC to AL. | |
| Abundance | Very rare, but all three populations are currently well-established, in the hundreds to thousands of plants. However, this species competes with native species (some rare) for the precious little soil around the margins of the rock surfaces, and it can and has crowded out such natives. Intentionally creating new populations in NC has had disastrous consequences. Though a very attractive species in bloom, populations need to be destroyed or controlled, as these are within highly-significant natural areas. | |
| Habitat | Stone quarry and granitic dome margins, granitic flatrock. Grows in the shallow soil around the margins of the rocks. | |
| Phenology | Flowering and fruiting August-September. | |
| Identification | Confederate Daisy has slender, linear, opposite leaves and small-medium heads with golden yellow rays and disks. It looks so much like any other sunflower, though it is a short species (1-2 feet tall) with very narrow leaves and is restricted to sunny rock outcrops. | |
| Taxonomic Comments | Long known as Viguiera porteri, though one must wonder why it was placed in a different genus from typical sunflowers (Helianthus) for all those years.
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| Other Common Name(s) | | |
| State Rank | SE [SE?] | |
| Global Rank | G4 | |
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| US Status | | |
| USACE-agcp | | |
| USACE-emp | | |
