Cut Leaf Daisy Magenta Bliss

Cut Leaf Daisy 'Magenta Bliss' (Brachyscome 'Magenta Bliss') is an Australian native groundcover to about 30cm tall and 60cm across that carries magenta daisies for most of the year. The flowers sit just above finely divided foliage, so the planting reads as colour rather than leaf. Planted 40cm apart it closes into a dense flowering carpet within a season.

Why you'll love it

• Flowers almost year round. Magenta blooms come in repeated flushes rather than one short season, unusual in a groundcover this low.
• Tough in every direction. Frost hardy, drought tolerant, heat tolerant and salt tolerant, so cold southern gardens and exposed coastal blocks both work.
• Safe around cats and dogs. It is not toxic to pets, so it can edge a lawn or fill a pot where animals spend time.
• Pollinators find it quickly. Open daisy flowers are easy for bees and butterflies to work, and it flowers long enough to matter to them.

Where it works best

Groundcover and mass planting. Plant 40cm apart, about six plants per square metre. At that spacing the foliage meets in one season and shades out most weed seedlings.

Borders, edging and rockeries. The low mounding habit suits the front of a bed, a path edge or a gravel pocket, and it drapes neatly where it is given an edge to fall over.

Pots and containers. A 300mm pot holds a single plant well, and the trailing flowering stems soften the rim of a mixed planting.

Growing cut leaf daisy in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the heaviest flowering, though it accepts part shade with fewer blooms. It suits warm temperate, cool temperate, subtropical and Mediterranean gardens, and being frost hardy it handles cold southern winters without protection.

Soil. Ordinary garden soil that drains freely, improved with a little compost. Wet, heavy ground is the one thing that will shorten its life, so mound the bed on clay and keep mulch thin between young plants.

Water and feed. Water twice a week through the first summer while the roots take hold, then only in long dry spells. A low phosphorus native fertiliser in early spring is enough, and heavy feeding produces soft growth at the expense of flowers.

Pruning. Shear lightly after each flowering flush. It takes a few minutes with hedge shears and it is the single thing that keeps the plant tight and flowering instead of open and woody in the middle.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in two sizes, tube stock and 140mm pots in packs of ten. Ten plants cover about one and a half square metres at 40cm spacing. Tubes are the sensible choice for a larger area, establishing fast and costing far less per square metre.

Plants often arrive already in bud or flower, and some flower drop in transit is normal. Expect them to start spreading four to six weeks after planting in warm weather. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full groundcover range
• Choosing a groundcover for your garden
• Compare other Australian natives
• More plants that are safe for pets

Common questions

How many plants do I need per square metre?

About six at the recommended 40cm spacing. A pack of ten covers roughly one and a half square metres, so measure the bed first rather than guessing.

Is it safe for cats and dogs?

Yes. It is not toxic to cats or dogs, which makes it one of the safer choices for a groundcover in a garden pets use daily.

Mine has gone woody in the middle. What went wrong?

It was probably not sheared often enough. Trim lightly after each flowering flush from the first year, and the plant keeps producing fresh growth from the centre instead of opening out.

Will it handle frost and coastal gardens?

It is frost hardy, so cold southern winters are fine, and it is salt tolerant enough for a coastal garden. Give it free draining soil in both, because cold wet ground is harder on it than cold alone.