Its large, daisy-like flowers can bloom for months, as seen in the sun-filled Mediterranean collection at the Dunedin Botanic Garden.
That’s why choosing the right spot is essential, as in wet soils it is prone to rotting.
Growing to only about 30cm tall, this low, spreading shrub is ideal for softening the edges of retaining walls or spilling over garden planters.
Like many plants used in Mediterranean-style plantings, it has silvery foliage often covered in fine hairs.
These features aren’t just aesthetic, they help reflect intense sunlight, reduce water loss and protect the plant from extreme temperatures.
While flower buds can be damaged during a particularly harsh winter, plants usually recover well and go on to produce new buds as conditions improve.
Cultivars are often available in a range of colours, offering more variety than the white form.
If your garden doesn’t quite offer the right conditions, it also performs well in pots.
Place it somewhere sunny and free-draining.
- Zane Gray
