Santa Barbara daisy

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; flowering is usually best in sun, but light afternoon shade helps in hot inland gardens.

Water

Water regularly while establishing, then during prolonged dry spells. Established plants tolerate drought but flower better with occasional deep watering.

Soil

Well-drained soil, including sandy, gravelly or stony ground. Avoid soil that stays wet through winter.

Height

0.5-1.5 ft (0.15-0.45 m)

Spread

2-3 ft (0.6-0.9 m)

Flowers

Late spring to autumn, sometimes nearly year-round in frost-free coastal gardens; small yellow-centred daisies open white and age through pink to purplish pink.

Foliage

Small, narrow to lobed green leaves on slender, branching stems. Evergreen or semi-evergreen in mild climates; foliage may die back in cold winters.

Growth

Fast in suitable conditions; self-sown seedlings can extend the planting well beyond the original clump.

Care needed

Low

• Water new plants when the soil begins to dry, until their roots are established.
• Give established plants a deep watering during extended drought rather than frequent light sprinkling.
• Avoid rich feeding; apply a light spring feed only if growth is weak on poor soil.
• Use a thin gravel mulch where needed, keeping it clear of the crown.
• Pull unwanted seedlings while small, especially beside drains, paving and natural areas.

Pruning. In early spring, cut back dead or straggly stems to healthy growth near the base. Lightly shear after a main flush of flowers to restore a compact shape and encourage more bloom.

Early spring

Remove winter-damaged stems and shorten untidy growth once severe frosts have passed.

Spring

Plant into freely draining soil; divide established clumps if you want more plants.

Late spring

Remove unwanted seedlings before their roots become established in paving joints.

Summer

Water during prolonged drought and lightly shear tired flowering stems.

Autumn

Remove seedlings spreading beyond the garden and take cuttings if you need replacement plants.

Winter

Keep containers freely drained and shelter them from persistent winter wet.

• Let it spill over low retaining walls or raised-bed edges to soften hard masonry.
• Plant beside steps and paving for a loose, informal edge, keeping walking surfaces clear.
• Use between lavender, sage and other sun-loving shrubs to fill bare ground with fine-textured flowers.
• Grow around roses or along cottage-garden paths for a long season of white and pink flowers.
• Use at the rim of a sunny container, where its stems can trail over the edge.

Garden styles it suits: Cottage garden, Mediterranean, Dry gravel garden, Coastal, Romantic rose garden and Pollinator garden.

Plant it with: Lavender, Rosemary, Catmint, Hardy geranium, Roses and Salvia.

Wildlife: The open flowers provide pollen and nectar for bees, hoverflies and other small insects over a long season. It is not a substitute for locally native plants where those support more specialist wildlife.

• Winter crown or root rot in wet soil: improve drainage, move plants to raised ground and avoid heavy mulch over the crown.
• Excessive self-seeding: trim before seed ripens and pull seedlings promptly; do not plant where it could escape into nearby natural habitat.
• Sparse flowering and floppy growth in deep shade or rich soil: move to a brighter position and stop high-nitrogen feeding.
• Slug and snail damage to young shoots: inspect during damp weather and use barriers, hand-picking or an approved iron-phosphate bait as needed.

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

Where it spreads. Self-seeds readily and can spread into walls, cliffs and disturbed ground. It is listed as invasive in California, is on New Zealand's National Pest Plant Accord, and is regarded as an environmental weed in parts of Australia, including New South Wales and Victoria. It is also naturalised and locally troublesome in parts of the UK.

• Common daisy (Bellis perennis)

  Forms a low rosette of spoon-shaped leaves, with individual flowers on leafless stalks; Santa Barbara daisy has branching, leafy stems that spread or trail.

• Seaside daisy (Erigeron glaucus)

  Has larger, usually lavender flowers and broader, thicker leaves; Santa Barbara daisy has smaller white-to-pink flowers and finer growth.

• Annual fleabane (Erigeron annuus)

  Grows upright with taller, coarser stems and clusters of small daisies near their tops, rather than forming a low, trailing mound.

The species name karvinskianus honours Wilhelm Friedrich von Karwinski, a nineteenth-century botanist and plant collector.

Propagation. Divide rooted clumps in spring, take softwood cuttings in spring or early summer, or sow seed on the surface of moist seed compost without burying it deeply. Transplant self-sown seedlings while small, but avoid propagating it where it is invasive or restricted.

Accepted botanical name

Erigeron karvinskianus

In the US and Canada

Introduced in Hawaii and the lower 48 states.

Native range

Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Panamá and Venezuela.

Measured

Soil pH 7.5 to 8. Average height 24 cm.

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