Daisy bush

Sun

Full sun; tolerates light shade, but flowers less freely.

Water

Water regularly while establishing. Once rooted, it tolerates short dry spells, but benefits from deep watering during prolonged drought.

Soil

Well-drained soil, including sandy, chalky or stony ground. Avoid heavy soil that stays wet in winter.

Height

5-8 ft (1.5-2.4 m)

Spread

5-8 ft (1.5-2.4 m)

Flowers

Midsummer to late summer; clusters of small white daisies with yellow centres, often fragrant.

Foliage

Evergreen. Small, opposite, oval leaves with dark green upper surfaces and pale, felted undersides.

Growth

Moderate

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Drought tolerant
• Wildlife
• Low allergen
• Fragrant

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

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   2.6 ft (0.79 m)

3. After 2 years

   4 ft (1.1 m)

4. After 3 years

   4 ft (1.4 m)

5. After 5 years

   6 ft (2 m)

   full size

About 5 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

Growth rate

Moderate

• Plant in spring in colder areas, or in autumn where winters are mild.
• Water deeply during the first growing season, letting the surface soil dry between waterings.
• Mulch over the root area, keeping mulch clear of the stems.
• Use a light spring feed only if growth is weak; avoid heavy nitrogen feeding.
• Choose a sheltered position near its cold limit, away from frost pockets and waterlogged ground.

Pruning. Lightly trim after flowering to keep the shrub dense, cutting back leafy shoots rather than into bare old wood. Remove frost-damaged growth in spring once new buds show where stems are alive.

Spring

Plant in colder regions and water thoroughly; remove winter-damaged shoots once growth resumes.

Late spring

Renew mulch and check young plants for aphids.

Summer

Water establishing plants during dry weather; give mature shrubs a deep soak during prolonged drought.

Late summer

After flowering, lightly trim straggly shoots and take semi-ripe cuttings.

Autumn

Plant in mild-winter areas while the soil is warm; check that winter rain can drain away.

Winter

Protect young plants during severe cold and avoid pruning while frost is likely.

• Grow as an informal evergreen hedge in a mild coastal garden.
• Place at the back of a sunny mixed border, where its dark foliage provides a backdrop for flowering perennials.
• Combine with lavender, rock roses and silver-leaved shrubs in a well-drained gravel garden.
• Use beside a path or seating area where the summer flower scent can be noticed.

Garden styles it suits: Coastal, Cottage garden, Dry gravel garden, Low-maintenance, Pollinator garden and White garden.

Plant it with: Lavender, Rock rose, Santolina, Hebes, Agapanthus and Sea holly.

Wildlife: The open flowers provide pollen and nectar for bees, hoverflies and other visiting insects. Dense evergreen growth offers shelter for small birds.

• Winter root rot: avoid poorly drained ground and persistent winter saturation; improve drainage before planting.
• Frost scorch or dieback: provide shelter and protect young plants during severe freezes; prune damaged shoots in spring.
• Aphids on soft shoots: wash off small colonies with water and encourage ladybirds and other predators.
• Scale insects: inspect stems and leaf undersides, remove small infestations by hand, and use a labelled treatment if needed.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses. Species-specific information is limited, so do not treat any part as edible or allow pets or livestock to browse it heavily.

• New Zealand holly (Olearia macrodonta)

  Has much larger, conspicuously toothed, holly-like leaves and usually becomes a larger shrub or small tree.

• Daisy bush (Olearia × scilloniensis)

  Usually flowers in spring rather than midsummer and has narrower leaves with more noticeably wavy margins.

• Daisy bush (Olearia lepidophylla)

  Has very small, scale-like leaves pressed close to fine stems, giving a much more twiggy appearance.

The name haastii commemorates Julius von Haast, a nineteenth-century geologist and naturalist who worked in New Zealand.

Propagation. Take semi-ripe cuttings from healthy, non-flowering shoots in late summer and root them in a free-draining medium under cover. As a hybrid, it is best propagated from cuttings rather than seed.

Accepted botanical name

Olearia haastii

Native range

New Zealand South.

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