Family: Asteraceae
Common Name: Marguerite Daisy

This shrub is easy to grow, producing daisy-like flowers for long periods if dead flowers are removed regularly. The flowers last well after cutting. Picking them encourages the plant to produce new shoots.

Species

A. frutescens is a bushy, evergreen subshrub, with deeply cut leaves and daisy-like flowers up to 5 cm (2 in) across. It grows to around 1 m (3 ft). Many hybrids have been produced, and they come in a range of colours and forms: white, pink or yellow, single, double or anemone-centered.

Cultivation

In frost-prone climates, grow as a summer bedding or patio-tub plant. Plant in any ordinary garden soil in full sun. They will tolerate a little shade, but may become leggy. Propagate from cuttings of the unflowered shoots, 5-8 cm (2-3 in) long, which generally root easily in any season except winter. Prune after flowering if the flowers have not been picked regularly. In warm climates these plants quickly become woody so are best pruned regularly and repropagated every two to three years.

Climate

Zones 9 and 10.