This is my Turnera ulmifolia plant. It is commonly known as golden carnation or yellow elderberry because of its beautiful, vibrant yellow flowers. It is a shrubby, perennial plant native to tropical countries.
It is a “butterfly” plant, meaning that its yellow flowers attract butterflies, which land on its branches and lay their precious eggs. After a while, the caterpillars are born.
I have never brought seeds from this plant; I don't know how they get into my garden. The truth is that they are born, and then the caterpillars eat them completely. After brightening up my garden with bouquets of beautiful yellow flowers, which bloom in the morning and wilt at noon, it dies.
This is the skeleton of the shrub that the caterpillars leave behind after greedily eating all the leaves of the plant. I have never done anything to eliminate them. Just as the plant arrived in my garden, perhaps brought by the legs of the orange butterflies themselves, so the plant disappears, only to be reborn again and repeat the cycle.
It is not a very demanding plant; it grows in any pot, in the shade or exposed to the sun. It does not require frequent watering because when it grows in cactus pots, it is always flowering even if the substrate is dry.
I write this based on my own experience with this plant. I hope you can get to know it and have it at home. I have also learned that it has many medicinal benefits for intestinal, respiratory, and dermatological conditions.
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