Olearia passerinoides (Daisy Bush)

Olearia passerinoides is a mallee daisy and is quite a large bush with bright  green leaves, different to many mallee daisies which often have grey green leaves. Although this is a shrub, to me it behaves as a perennial shrub, in that new growth appears along the older wood.

The bush has a tendency to become scruffy, with the leaves higher up the stems and the flowers also high. If it was cut back to the lower growths, it would have dense foliage and be a more compact plant, and I suspect the flowering would also be quite spectacular.

As usual, I promise myself that I will do this, and yet another season goes buy. Mine have just finished flowering, so out with the secateurs tomorrow, while I think of it.

Olearia passerinoides is drought, lime and frost tolerant. It has clusters of small white daisies and grows to 2-3m tall by about 1.5-2m wide if left to its own devices. Pruning will keep it to a more compact size.

Calocephalus lacteus (Milky Beauty-heads)

Calocephalus lacteus is a small spreading plant with small, globular, whitish flower heads in late spring and summer. The photo was taken in early January in Canberra Botanic Gardens.

The plant suckers, growing 10-30 cm tall by 1-1.5 metres wide. It is hardy in most situations, prefers moist soil but withstands periods of dryness. It grows in full sun to part shade in sand loam or clay that is well drained. It would need some water during the summer in low rainfall areas.

Calocephalus citreus (Lemon Beauty-heads)

Calocephalus citreus is a small member of the daisy family, growing 20-50 cm high by 30-60 cm wide. It has silver grey foliage and small, yellow button type flowerheads in late Spring to Summer. The photo was taken in early January at Canberra Botanic Gardens.

This plant is perennial and should be pruned after flowering when new growths begin near the base of the plant.  It is hardy in most situations and withstands dry periods.

I would call it a drought tolerant plant when I observe its survival here. It grows in loam and sand, in half to full sun, including dappled sun.

This attractive daisy dries well for use in flower arrangements.

Chrysocephalum semipapposum (Clustered Everlasting)

A cottage garden is the ideal garden for many of the Australian native daisies. Chrysocephalum semipapposum (Clustered Everlasting) was growing in Canberra Botanic Gardens in a wild bush gardens which could have been turned into a cottage garden with its random planting arrangements.

The photo shows the ‘natural’ looking effect that can be achieved by planting several plants of a species in an irregular grouping, with other plants of different form, leaf and flower colour, and height.

Chrysocephalum semipapposum (Clustered Everlasting)

This is one of my favourite plants and it is a member of the daisy family. Members of  The Daisy Study Group had several forms of Chrysocephalum semipapposum growing. Chrysocephalum used to be Helichrysm.

It is a variable species with grey to green leaves which vary in width from quite fine to a coarser leaved form. It has clusters of small yellow flowers, which, if picked quite early in the flowering stage, will keep as an everlasting. If picked to late the flower will continue to open and the seeds will fluff out.

The plants grow from 50-80cm tall and make clumps up to a metre wide. Flowering is from Spring through to autumn so they are good value in the garden, especially in a cottage garden setting. The plants shoot from the bottom, so when the first signs of shooting appear, it is time to chop the clumps back to the new growth.

This plant is hardy in most situations and grows in full sun to filtered or part sun. It withstands periods of dryness but does best with extra moisture. The plant is suitable for heavy clay, loams and sand.

Helichrysm elatum (Tall White Everlasting)

This plant can grow between one to two metres tall. The flowers are often in clusters. Although plants flower in spring in the wild, in garden conditions this flowering continues into summer. The plant needs root protection and a semi shaded position. The plant will also grow in exposed coastal positions.

Helichrysm elatum is a good plant for cut flowers. The flowers can also be wired and dried and this needs to be done before the buds open.

This plant originates in Victoria, NSW, and Qld, on tablelands, coast and foothills. It is generally found in shade among rocks in rich soils.

Helichrysm elatum (Tall White Everlasting)

Minuria leptophylla

When I took the photo of the Olearia pimelioides, Minuria leptophylla was growing nearby and I have seen masses of this plant also. This added weight to my demand to stop and see what they were. After that they seemed to be everywhere.

Minuria leptophylla is a perennial plant which dies back in the heat and dryness of summer, to reshoot after autumn rains. The plant is 5-20cm tall. The flowers are white mainly with pinks and purples being available at times and seem too large for such a small plant. It grows on most soil types.

From a farming point of view, stock graze this plant and it is valuable for this purpose. In the garden it would make a great border plant and if the water was available to give it good garden conditions, it would flower for most of the year.

Rhodanthe floribunda

This daisy is one of the everlasting daisies and was growing like a carpet along the roadside from Ouyen through to Manangatang. I know it has had a name change from Helipterum but I am not sure whether it is Rhodanthe or not. I did not bring the daisy books with me. It is an annual and flowers prolifically.

This plant grows on all soil types and in quite low rainfall areas 250mm to 350mm. In good seasons plants can be up to half a metre across.

A friend often throws everlasting daisy seed around on a sand or small gravel mulch in late autumn, sprinkles the area well with water and then sits back to watch the ‘lawn’ grow and eventually sees the masses of flowers in the area. This is well worth doing. The sand or gravel acts as a mulch and retains moisture around the seed where it is washed into the nooks and crannies amongst the small stones.

The flowers wire well for floral art work if picked early enough to prevent the petals from flexing back too far when they open. Trial and error is needed here, to pick the flowers at the correct stage of bud size.

Rhodanthe floribunda

Olearia pimelioides

This daisy grows to about 1 metre high and wide. It begins flowering at the end of winter into spring and makes a wonderful show. It grows in most soils particularly limey soils which occur around our place. Although the books say it is used commonly as a garden plant I have not found this to be so. To have 2 or 3 of them in a group would make the most wonderful spring display in a garden.

Olearia pimelioides