Cut-leaf daisy

Sun

Full sun to light partial shade; provide some afternoon shade in very hot inland gardens.

Water

Water regularly while establishing, then when the upper soil has dried. Established plants tolerate short dry spells, but containers need more frequent watering.

Soil

Well-drained sandy, loamy or gravelly soil; avoid heavy soil that stays wet, especially in winter.

Height

0.5-1 ft (0.15-0.3 m)

Spread

1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m)

Flowers

Small mauve, lilac or purple daisies with yellow centres from spring into autumn; some cultivars have pink or white flowers. Flowering may continue through mild winters.

Foliage

Evergreen. Small green leaves deeply divided into narrow lobes, forming a soft, spreading mound.

Growth

Moderate to fast in warm weather.

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Heat tolerant
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   0.7 ft (0.22 m)

   full size

About 2 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Native to

Australia

Growth rate

Fast

• Plant after the risk of hard frost has passed, allowing room for the stems to spread.
• Water at soil level and let the surface dry between waterings; do not leave pots standing in water.
• Apply a light dose of balanced fertiliser in spring; feed container plants sparingly during flowering.
• Keep mulch away from the crown and use a gritty potting mix in containers.
• In cold regions, keep a potted plant or rooted cuttings in a bright, frost-free place over winter.

Pruning. Lightly shear after a main flush of flowers to remove faded blooms and encourage compact new growth. In spring, trim winter-damaged or straggly stems back to healthy leafy growth rather than cutting hard into bare woody bases.

Spring

Trim overwintered plants and apply a light feed as active growth resumes.

Late spring

Plant out after hard frosts, watering thoroughly to settle the roots.

Summer

Check containers frequently for dryness and lightly shear plants after heavy flowering.

Late summer

Take non-flowering shoot cuttings to replace ageing plants or keep under cover.

Autumn

Move plants under cover before frost where winters are too cold for outdoor survival.

Winter

Keep sheltered plants bright and cool, watering sparingly without letting the root ball dry completely.

• Edge sunny paths and borders with low mounds of finely cut foliage and small daisies.
• Let stems spill over container rims or low retaining walls.
• Plant among rocks in free-draining pockets, where the flowers soften hard surfaces.
• Combine with compact grasses, lavender and other small sun-loving plants for contrasting leaf shapes.

Garden styles it suits: Australian native, Cottage garden, Dry gravel garden, Coastal, Pollinator garden and Small-space.

Plant it with: Lavender, Blue fescue, Creeping thyme, Fan flower, Kangaroo paw and Strawflower.

Wildlife: The open flower heads provide nectar and pollen for bees and other small flower-visiting insects.

• Root and crown rot in wet soil: improve drainage, reduce watering and discard badly rotted plants.
• Aphids on soft shoots: wash off small colonies with water; use insecticidal soap if needed, avoiding open flowers.
• Slugs and snails eating tender growth: inspect after dark, remove them and clear damp hiding places around young plants.
• Sparse flowering and floppy growth in shade or rich soil: move to a sunnier position and reduce feeding.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses. Species-specific toxicity information is limited, so do not treat the leaves or flowers as edible.

• Swan River daisy (Brachyscome iberidifolia)

  Usually an upright annual with a wider range of flower colours and often dark flower centres; cut-leaf daisy is a spreading perennial with typically yellow centres. Leaf shape overlaps, so check the plant label.

• Seaside daisy (Erigeron glaucus)

  Has broader, spoon-shaped leaves rather than finely divided foliage, and generally larger flowers with many narrow rays.

• Mexican fleabane (Erigeron karvinskianus)

  Its small flowers open white and age pink, often showing both colours together; its leaves are simple or shallowly lobed rather than deeply cut into narrow segments.

The species name multifida means 'many-divided', referring to the finely cut leaves that also give cut-leaf daisy its common name.

Propagation. Root softwood or semi-ripe cuttings from non-flowering shoots in spring or summer. Seed can also be sown in spring, but seedlings from named cultivars may differ from the parent.

Accepted botanical name

Brachyscome multifida

Native range

New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0) and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.