Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Bush Daisy (Gamolepis chrysanthemoides)

Bush Daisy (Gamolepis chrysanthemoides) is a small carefree shrub, growing in a naturally rounded form about three feet in diameter.
The plant is nearly everblooming, and quite cold-hardy. After the past two severe winters, Bush Daisy is moving up on my list of desirable shrubs. It is native to South Africa and is recommended for USDA Zones 8-11. In the warmer parts of this range it is evergreen. In Zone 8 and 9a, it will die back in the winter and resume growth in the spring. Here is Zone 9b it is evergreen, and flowers non-stop in part shade to full sun. They can be planted in a row to form a low flowering hedge.

The bright yellow flowers are about two inches in diameter and are held well above the foliage by five-inch long stems. They will last several days as cut flowers. The foliage consists of dark green, deeply lobed leaves, giving the bush a somewhat ferny texture.
Bush Daisy is fairly drought-tolerant, but will bloom best if given supplemental moisture during dry periods. Butterflies will feed on the nectar of this plant, but they seem to like other flowers better. This plant is also reported to be deer-resistant.
Some reputable sources indicate this species is now correctly identified under the genus Euryops.

3 comments:

Ami said...

I recently got this plant from Lowes' clearance rack, and just put it into the ground. Thanks for this timely post! Looking forward to it forming a mounding everblooming bush in my zone 10 south florida garden.

Susan said...

I agree with you about this bush. She is a workhorse in winter for me, but dies out every summer. I think my ground is just too wet for her. You can't beat those cheery yellow flowers in winter though.

Sunray Gardens said...

I like that. I have regular Daisy's and love them and their long bloom period.
Cher
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