Bidens Plant Care: Comprehensive Guide For Vibrant Blooms
Everything you need to know about growing, caring for, and using Bidens for spectacular, pollinator-friendly color in beds, borders, and containers.
Image: HearthJunction Design Team
Bidens: The Bright Star of Summer Gardens
Bidens, commonly known as beggar-ticks or tickseed, burst onto the summer gardening scene with their exuberant golden, white, or pink daisy-like blooms. Renowned for their ability to attract butterflies and bees, these sun-loving annuals and perennials are treasured for their extended flowering season, easy care, and versatility in beds, borders, containers, and hanging baskets.
What are Bidens?
Bidens is a diverse genus in the Asteraceae family comprising over 200 species of annuals and perennials, many hailing from the Americas. Most garden varieties are hybrids derived from Bidens ferulifolia, celebrated for their mounding, trailing habit and prolific star-shaped blooms. While wild species are renowned for their stick-tight seeds (hence the common name “beggar-ticks”), cultivated forms have been bred for ornamental value, flower power, and tidier growth.
Top Bidens Varieties
Modern breeding has delivered a dazzling color palette and various growth habits. Here are some standout varieties to consider:
- Bee Happy: A compact, 35 cm tall variety with bright orange petals tinged golden towards the center. Blooms profusely from May to October.
- Blazing Glory: Striking bicolored bloomsâsunny yellow petals shifting to deep orange at the tips. Grows 25â30 cm high.
- Cupcake Banana Cream: Low-growing (15â25 cm), with creamy yellow petals and a sunny yellow centerâperfect for tight spaces and mixed plantings.
- Golden Empire: Reaches up to 40 cm in height and features classic golden-yellow flowers for a bold container or border display.
- Pretty in Pink: A new twist, offering soft pink blooms for an unexpected accent in the summer garden.
Bidens Flower Colors
- Golden Yellow
- Creamy White
- Pastel Pink
- Bicolored (Yellow and Orange)
The lively, daisy-like flowers often blanket the foliage, creating a vivid carpet of color that endures from late spring until frost.
Where to Grow Bidens
Outstanding for versatility, Bidens thrive in a wide array of garden settings:
- Garden Beds and Borders: Plant as edging or mass for a low-maintenance splash of color.
- Containers, Pots, and Troughs: Their mounding or trailing habit makes them ideal for spilling over the edges of patio planters and balcony boxes.
- Hanging Baskets: Cascading varieties fill baskets with vibrant blooms all summer.
- Pollinator Gardens: Bidens attract a host of butterflies, bees, and other beneficial insects.
How to Plant Bidens
Getting started with Bidens is easyâfollow these simple guidelines for best results:
- Timing: Plant outdoors after all risk of late frost has passed, typically from mid-May onwards.
- Spacing: Space plants 25â40 cm apart to allow them to spread and fill in nicely.
- Sunlight: Choose a spot that receives at least six hours of direct sun daily. While Bidens tolerate partial shade, full sun delivers the most robust flowering.
- Soil: Use well-drained, fresh, nutrient-rich soil. A slightly acidic pH (5.5â6.3) is ideal, with plenty of organic matter mixed in.
- Containers: If transplanting from nursery pots, repot into a larger, well-drained container, as Bidens quickly outgrow small starter pots.
Growing and Caring for Bidens
Bidens are famously low-maintenance once established. Here’s how to keep them lush and covered with flowers from spring through fall:
- Watering: Provide consistent moisture, especially during dry spells. Let the soil dry slightly between waterings, but don’t allow it to completely dry out.
- Fertilizing: A monthly feeding with balanced liquid fertilizer encourages continuous bloom in containers and garden beds.
- Light Intensity: These sun-worshippers prefer full sunlightâat least 6,000 footcandles (60,000 LUX) if you’re growing indoors or under cover.
- Deadheading: Typically, deadheading is not required. Bidens are self-cleaning and will keep blooming profusely on their own, but occasional pinching can encourage a bushier shape.
- Pruning: If the plant gets too leggy or large, cut it back to maintain the desired shape and fullness. Pinching also prompts more branching and blooms.
What others are reading
Design Tips: Combining Bidens in the Landscape
Bidens mix beautifully with other summer annuals and perennials for bold, bee-friendly displays. Here are a few inspiring combinations:
- With Petunias: Deep purple petunias and golden bidens create a classic, high-contrast combo for containers and window boxes.
- With Coreopsis: Match bidens with their close cousin, coreopsis, for a tapestry of yellow and orange that’s irresistible to butterflies and bees.
- With Angelonia: The spiky blue or purple flowers of angelonia contrast handsomely with the soft mounds of bidens, both thriving in heat and drought conditions.
- With Lantana or Calibrachoa: Add extra vibrancy and texture to baskets and mixed plantings with these trailing partners.
Bidens in Containers and Hanging Baskets
Bidens are a favorite for container gardening due to their:
- Trailing Growth: Cascades over the sides of planters and baskets.
- Continuous Flowering: Flowers from May until autumn frost, with little need for deadheading.
- Pollinator Appeal: Draws in bees, butterflies, and other insects, supporting urban and small-space wildlife habitats.
- Low Maintenance Needs: Thrives despite heat, moderate drought, and minimal fertilizing.
For best results, use a lightweight, well-drained potting mix and fertilize regularly through the growing season.
Overwintering and Hardiness
Most ornamental bidens are grown as annuals, especially in cooler climates. Although some species are perennial in their native ranges, they are sensitive to frost. To overwinter:
- Bring Indoors: In fall, you can bring container-grown plants indoors before frost. Place in a bright, cool location and water sparingly.
- Take Cuttings: Propagating from cuttings in late summer allows you to start new plants for the next spring.
Common Problems and Solutions
| Problem | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Poor Flowering | Insufficient sunlight or nutrients | Move to a sunnier location and feed monthly |
| Leggy Growth | Overcrowding or lack of pinching | Pinch back stems to encourage bushiness |
| Root Rot | Overwatering/poor drainage | Ensure well-drained soil and moderate watering |
| Pests (rare) | Aphids, thrips occasionally | Rinse with water or use insecticidal soap if needed |
Benefits of Growing Bidens
- Long Bloom Season: Provides color from spring to the first frost.
- Pollinator Magnet: Attracts butterflies, bees, and beneficial insects.
- Easy Care: Minimal maintenance, with little need for deadheading or pruning.
- Versatile: Excels in containers, baskets, and landscape plantings.
- Drought Tolerant: Once established, can handle hot and dry conditions.
- Not Edible: While safe in gardens, the plant is not for human or animal consumption.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Are Bidens perennials or annuals?
Most Bidens hybrids are grown as annuals, but some species can be perennial in frost-free climates. Gardeners in colder areas typically replant each year.
Do Bidens need deadheading?
No, most modern varieties are self-cleaning and do not require regular removal of spent blooms. However, light pinching can improve shape and branching.
Can Bidens tolerate partial shade?
While Bidens will tolerate light shade, they flower most heavily in full sun. In shadier sites, flowering may be reduced.
Are Bidens deer-resistant?
Bidens are generally not favored by deer, making them a good choice for gardens where deer browsing is a challenge (although no plant is completely deer-proof).
Do Bidens attract pollinators?
Absolutely. Their flowers are loaded with nectar and pollen, making them a magnet for bees, butterflies, and even hoverflies and other pollinators. Bidens are ideal for supporting wildlife in your garden.
Can you grow Bidens from seed?
Yes! Sow indoors 6â8 weeks before the last frost and transplant after the threat of frost passes. Commercially, most gardeners start with robust nursery-grown plants for quick color.
Quick Care Reference for Bidens
| Aspect | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Sun | Full sun (6+ hours) |
| Soil | Well-draining, nutrient-rich, slightly acidic (pH 5.5â6.3) |
| Water | Moderate, allow topsoil to dry between watering |
| Fertilizer | Monthly balanced liquid feed |
| Deadheading | Rarely needed |
| Height/Spread | 15â40 cm tall depending on variety; spreads gently |
| Companion Plants | Petunia, Coreopsis, Angelonia, Lantana |
Conclusion
With their luminous, pollen-rich blooms, fuss-free maintenance, and outstanding versatility, Bidens earn their place as one of the best summer annuals for gardens of all sizes. Whether tumbling from hanging baskets, lining a sunny border, or adding nectar to a pollinator paradise, Bidens will help your garden shine from late spring through the last notes of autumn.
References
- https://www.bhg.com/gardening/plant-dictionary/annual/bidens/
- https://www.thespruce.com/bidens-plant-profile-5069525
- https://plantura.garden/uk/flowers-perennials/bidens/bidens-overview
- https://www.danzigeronline.com/growing-tips-for-bidens-from-a-plant-expert/
- https://costafarms.com/blogs/plant-finder/bidens
Similar Articles
Read full bio of Srija Burman
