Family: Asteraceae
Common Name: Billy Buttons

Native to Australia and New Zealand, these annual and perennial herbs, with their round, yellow flower heads, look very pretty growing en masse in the garden. They also make unusual pot plants. The white, woolly foliage of the alpine species provides an attractive landscape feature. The alpine species can be quite demanding in their requirements.

Species

These are not always easy to obtain in the UK.

C. chrysantha, golden billy buttons, has white foliage and round, velvety, yellow flower heads, with brownish bracts.

C. globosa, drumsticks, is a bushy perennial, with silvery gray foliage and round, yellow flower heads.

C. uniflora is a perennial found both in Australia and New Zealand. It has woolly, greenish white foliage and single, button-like flowers in summer, ranging in colour from white in alpine areas of New Zealand to yellow and orange.

Cultivation

Most species like a moist but well-drained, sunny position in the garden. They produce an abundance of seed which can be sown under glass with bottom heat in spring. Perennial species can be divided in spring.

Climate

Zone 8 for most species.