Golden marguerite 'E.C. Buxton'

Sun

Full sun; flowering and stem strength decline in shade.

Water

Water regularly during establishment, then mainly during prolonged dry spells. Avoid persistently wet soil, especially in winter.

Soil

Well-drained, sandy, gravelly or light loamy soil; tolerates poor soil and neutral to alkaline conditions. Rich, wet soil encourages floppy growth and shortens its life.

Height

2-3 ft (0.6-0.9 m)

Spread

1.5-2 ft (0.45-0.6 m)

Flowers

Early summer to early autumn, with pale lemon-yellow petals around deeper yellow centres; repeat flowering is better after trimming.

Foliage

Finely divided, aromatic, grey-green leaves forming a bushy mound; some foliage may persist through mild winters.

Growth

Moderate to fast; usually flowers in its first growing season from a well-rooted plant.

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Deer resistant
• Drought tolerant
• Cold hardy
• Low allergen

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

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Very tough

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

1. Planting day

   1 ft (0.3 m)

2. After 1 year

   1.6 ft (0.49 m)

3. After 2 years

   2.2 ft (0.68 m)

4. After 3 years

   2.5 ft (0.75 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

Growth rate

Fast

• Water new plants deeply when the root zone begins to dry; reduce watering once established.
• Avoid routine feeding; excess fertiliser produces weak, floppy stems.
• Use a thin gravel mulch rather than moisture-retentive mulch around the crown.
• Support stems early with twiggy stakes if the site is windy or the soil is unusually fertile.
• Divide healthy clumps every two or three years in spring to maintain vigour.

Pruning. Remove faded flowers regularly, or shear flowered stems back by about one-third after the main flush to encourage fresh growth and more flowers. Cut remaining dead stems down in early spring, taking care not to damage new basal shoots.

Early spring

Remove dead stems and check that winter moisture has not rotted the crown.

Spring

Plant or divide clumps in freely draining soil, then water until rooted.

Late spring

Add discreet supports before stems lengthen if the site is exposed.

Early summer

Begin deadheading as the first flowers fade.

Midsummer

Trim back after the main flowering flush and water during prolonged drought.

Autumn

Remove unwanted seedlings and keep fallen leaves from smothering the crown.

• Plant in small groups through a sunny cottage border for repeated patches of soft yellow.
• Combine with purple salvias, catmint or lavender for a clear yellow-and-violet contrast.
• Use in gravel gardens with upright grasses and other drought-tolerant perennials.
• Place beside paths where its finely cut foliage softens the edge without forming a dense groundcover.

Garden styles it suits: Cottage garden, English country, Dry gravel garden, Mediterranean, Pollinator garden and New perennial (prairie).

Plant it with: Catmint, Lavender, Perennial salvia, Yarrow, Globe thistle and Feather reed grass.

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

• Crown or root rot in wet soil: improve drainage or move plants to a raised, gravelly position; discard badly rotted clumps.
• Floppy stems: provide full sun, avoid rich feeding and support young growth before it falls outward.
• Aphids on soft shoots: dislodge small colonies with water and allow predators such as ladybirds to feed on them.
• Short-lived or woody clumps: divide vigorous outer growth in spring or replace plants with rooted cuttings.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses, but reliable species-specific information on ingestion is limited. It is not a culinary chamomile. Leaves and stems may irritate sensitive skin; wear gloves if you react to plants in the daisy family.

• Golden marguerite (Cota tinctoria)

  The typical species usually has stronger golden-yellow petals; 'E.C. Buxton' has noticeably paler lemon-yellow petals.

• Yellow chamomile (Cladanthus mixtus)

  This annual has white-tipped petals with yellow bases, rather than the evenly pale-yellow petals of 'E.C. Buxton'.

• Marguerite daisy (Argyranthemum frutescens)

  Marguerite daisy develops a woody, shrubby framework and is much less winter-hardy; its flowers may be white, pink or yellow.

The species name tinctoria means 'used for dyeing', referring to the yellow dye traditionally obtained from its flowers.

Propagation. Divide in spring or take basal cuttings from fresh spring shoots to preserve the cultivar. Seedlings may appear, but they will not reliably retain its pale flower colour or other characteristics.

Accepted botanical name

Cota tinctoria

In the US and Canada

Introduced in Alaska, Canada and the lower 48 states.

Native range

Albania, Altay, Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Buryatiya, Central European Rus, Chita, Czechoslovakia and Denmark.

Measured

Soil pH 6.5 to 7. Average height 55 cm.

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