Plant Finder

Other Names:  Yellow Baby's Tears, Angel Tears

Description:

Tiny golden-chartreuse leaves on a spreading, very low, prostrate habit; a great groundcover that will light up a shade to semi shade area; ideal for basing containers and terrariums and is used in bonsai; likes even moisture and good drainage

Ornamental Features

Golden Baby's Tears is primarily valued in the garden for its broadly spreading habit of growth. It attractive tiny round leaves emerge yellow in spring, turning gold in color with hints of chartreuse the rest of the year.

Landscape Attributes

Golden Baby's Tears is a dense herbaceous evergreen perennial with a ground-hugging habit of growth. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Spreading

Golden Baby's Tears is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Container Planting
• Hanging Baskets

Planting & Growing

Golden Baby's Tears will grow to be only 1 inch tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round.

This plant does best in partial shade to shade. It requires an evenly moist well-drained soil for optimal growth, but will die in standing water. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Golden Baby's Tears is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor containers and hanging baskets. Because of its spreading habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.