Blue Daisy Bush

Blue Daisy Bush 'Mauve Cloud' (Felicia amelloides 'Mauve Cloud') is a fast, rounded little shrub, about 60cm tall and 80cm wide, that covers itself in mauve blue daisies. In mild climates it is rarely out of flower provided you tip it back lightly after each flush, which makes it one of the quickest, cheapest ways to keep reliable colour along a path, a dry bank or a coastal front fence.

Why you'll love it

• Colour most of the year. In mild climates the flushes of mauve blue daisies follow one another almost year round, with only short pauses between.
• Quick to fill. It is a fast grower, so a new border knits together in its first year rather than its third.
• Coastal and dry tough. Salt wind and drought are both shrugged off once the roots are established, a rare combination in something this floriferous.
• Pollinators approve. Bees and butterflies work the daisies through every flush, and the low maintenance habit asks almost nothing back.

Where it works best

Borders and edging. Plant 50cm apart for a continuous border. At that spacing the mounds merge into an unbroken ribbon of foliage and flower along a path or bed edge.

Coastal gardens, banks and rockeries. The salt tolerance earns it a place near the beach, and the compact rootball tucks into rockery pockets and dry retaining wall beds that defeat thirstier plants.

Pots and containers. In a wide bowl or trough it mounds and spills softly over the rim, flowering at balcony rail height where you actually see it.

Growing Blue Daisy Bush in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun brings the heaviest flowering. It suits warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens and takes light frost only, so in cold inland districts give it a warm wall or grow it in a pot. North of its range, humid tropical summers shorten its life.

Soil. Free draining and of modest fertility. It does not need rich soil, just soil that never sits wet.

Water and feed. Water it in through the first few months, then only in extended dry spells. A light feed of complete fertiliser in spring supports the long flowering run.

Pruning. This is the one job that matters. Trim lightly after each flush of flowers to keep the mound tight and the next flush coming, and keep the trims shallow rather than cutting into bare old wood.

What to expect when it arrives

Blue Daisy Bush is sold as tube stock: small, well rooted plants that travel in excellent condition and establish faster than larger potbound stock. Being a fast grower, tubes planted in spring are usually flowering mounds by the end of their first summer.

Tubes are the economical way to plant a border in numbers, and they combine easily with other plants to reach the minimum order of $300 before delivery. Orders are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Find companion colour in the flowering plants collection.
• Plan a salt tough garden from plants for coastal areas.
• Read our notes on growing seaside daisy, a like minded coastal companion.

Common questions

When does it flower?

In mild climates, most of the year in repeated flushes, strongest through the warmer months. The light trim after each flush is what keeps the cycle turning.

How far apart should I plant it?

Plant 50cm apart for a continuous border or mass planting. Wider spacing works too, but the gaps take an extra season to close.

How do I keep it neat?

Little and often. A light all over trim as each flush finishes keeps the mound dense and round. If a plant has gone leggy, tighten it gradually over two or three trims rather than one hard cut.

Will it survive frost?

Light frost only. It sails through mild winters, but in districts with regular hard frosts grow it in a pot you can move, or treat it as a plant to replace after a bad winter.