If you want to add colour to your winter garden, consider Euryops, a yellow daisy, which is a member of the Daisy family native to Southern and Central Africa. This hardy plant flowers through winter which gives the garden colour through those drab months of the year.
Plant details
Common name: Euryops
Botanic name: Euryops pectinatus. The genus name Euryops comes from the Greek word which means “having broad eyes”, referring to the large round flowers of the plant.
Description: Euryops pectinatus is the most commonly grown species and has silver foliage with clear yellow flowers from June until late spring. The plant is generally tougher than Marguerite daisies with less of a tendency to split in the centre as they age.
Climate: It can be grown throughout most of Australia except in the mountainous zones where it is worth a try in a sheltered north-facing position near a wall or paving.
Other varieties:
E. chrysanthemoides ‘African Sun’ – This variety is still yellow flowering but will grow in the cooler zones of Australia and has green foliage which is easier to combine with other plants in the garden.
E. virgineus ‘Golden Glow’ – This variety is better suited to areas on the coast because it is a low growing one, up to 75cm (2’6″) tall. The yellow flowers are tiny and grow in clumps right to the ends of the stems.
Uses:
informal shrub border
silver grey foliage looks good with blue, white and yellow colour schemes. Combines well with Wormwood (Artemesia ‘Powis Castle’), Convolvulus mauritanicus and lavender
adds brightness to a winter garden
Good points:
bright yellow flowers in winter
hardy plant that requires little maintenance
Downside:
difficult to mix with other colours in the garden because of the silver foliage and clear yellow flowers
Likes:
well drained soil, especially in summer rainfall areas
full sun
Care:
Euryops will tolerate being cut back quite hard after flowering or if you want them to develop some height give them a light pruning.
Availability and cost
All these varieties of Euryops should be available from nurseries throughout Australia. A 14cm (5.5″) pot costs from $6-$8.
