Seaside daisy is a low, spreading perennial covered in small white and pink daisies for most of the year. It grows in poor soil, salt wind and the cracks in a stone wall, and it asks for one haircut a year. It also seeds itself around, which matters near bushland. This guide covers where it grows, how to plant and cut it back, and how to keep it where you want it.
What seaside daisy is
Seaside daisy (Erigeron karvinskianus) comes from Mexico and Central America. It forms a mound of fine foliage about 30 cm high and 80 cm across, and it carries small daisies that open white and age to pink, so a plant shows both colours at once. It flowers most heavily from spring to autumn, and almost without a break in mild districts. It is also sold as Mexican daisy and Santa Barbara daisy.
Where it grows in Australia
| Location | How it performs |
|---|---|
| Sydney and coastal NSW | Flowers nearly all year and handles salt well |
| Melbourne and Adelaide | Ideal. A classic in stone walls and cottage planting |
| Perth | Very good once established; drought tolerant in sandy soil |
| Brisbane and south east Queensland | Grows well, though humid summers can make it leggy |
| Canberra and cold inland | Frost hardy; dies back in a hard winter and returns in spring |
| Tasmania | Does well in coastal and sheltered positions |
Be aware that it self seeds
Seaside daisy has naturalised in parts of south eastern Australia, particularly Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania, where it has spread into bushland, along creek lines and onto disturbed ground. Some councils list it as an environmental weed.
In a suburban garden surrounded by paving and lawn it is easy to manage: shear it before the seed sets and it stays where you put it. If your property adjoins bushland, a reserve or a creek, check your council's guidance first, or plant a native daisy from the brachyscome range on that boundary. Brachyscome gives the same small daisies on a low mound without the weed question.
Where it is most useful
- Walls and steps. It settles into the gaps in a dry stone wall, along the edge of steps and between pavers, and softens hard edges.
- Coastal gardens. It takes salt wind, sandy soil and the heat off paving.
- Pots and baskets. It spills over the rim and flowers for months.
- Edging and banks. Planted 40 cm apart, it closes into a continuous low border within a season.
Planting
- Sun. Full sun gives the most flowers. It takes part shade, with fewer flowers and looser growth.
- Drainage. Sharp drainage matters more than soil quality. On clay, plant it raised, in a wall or in a pot.
- Soil. Poor soil is fine. Rich soil and fertiliser give leaves at the expense of flowers.
- Water. Water weekly for the first couple of months. After that it needs water only in a long dry spell.
Cutting back
This is the one job. Shear the whole plant back by half or more after the main flush of flowers, in late summer in most of Australia, and again in late winter if it has become untidy. It regrows dense and flowers again within weeks. Left uncut it goes woody and open in the centre, and it sets far more seed. The cut is both the maintenance and the containment.
Companion plants
Plants that like the same sun and drainage make the best neighbours: lomandra and blue fescue for upright contrast, pigface on a coastal bank, and lavender, rosemary and westringia behind it. More low growers for the same job are in our groundcover collection.
Common questions
Is seaside daisy an Australian native?
No. It comes from Mexico and Central America. The native daisies of similar size are the brachyscomes.
Is seaside daisy invasive?
It self seeds freely and is a weed of bushland in parts of south eastern Australia. Shearing it before the seed ripens keeps it contained in a garden.
When should I cut seaside daisy back?
After the main flush of flowers in late summer, and again in late winter if needed. Cut it back by half or more.
Does seaside daisy grow in shade?
It grows in part shade but flowers best in full sun.
