A great summer annual to include in your garden is melampodium (Melampodium paludosum).
Sometimes mistaken for a zinnia, it’s a small mound-shaped plant that becomes almost covered in 1-inch yellow flowers. Its 1- to 1½-inch apple-green foliage is slightly smooth.
Melampodium grows easily in the garden or in containers and creates a bright border along a path. It likes warm, sunny weather and doesn’t need to have dead blooms removed.
Two varieties of melampodium can be seen at the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens: Million Gold, with golden yellow flowers, in the Trials Garden; and Showstar, with buttery yellow flowers, in the entry plaza.
Height: 12 to 18 inches
Spread: 12 to 15 inches
Hardiness: Zone 10
Origin: Latin America
— Barbara Arnold, Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens