Compact Yellow Buttons

Compact Yellow Buttons (Chrysocephalum apiculatum, compact form) is one of those Australian natives that quietly does everything asked of it. It sits about 30cm tall, spreads to a metre wide, and covers its silver grey foliage in clusters of small golden button flowers over a very long season. Frost, drought, heat, salt air and hungry sand: it takes the lot.

Why you'll love it

• Silver and gold, most of the year. The everlasting style buttons keep coming through the warm months, over foliage that earns its place even between flushes.
• A true survivor. Frost hardy, drought tolerant and untroubled by poor soil, it suits gardens from the coast to the dry inland.
• Native food for pollinators. Bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects work the flowers constantly.
• Fast, low cover. It spreads quickly into a soft carpet without becoming a thug, and never needs mowing or edging equipment.
• Minimal upkeep. One shear after the main flush is the entire annual maintenance program.

Where it works best

Groundcover and mass planting. Plant 50cm apart for a continuous silver and gold carpet. It is a natural under established natives, along fence lines and across dry banks.

Borders and edging. The compact habit holds a soft, low line along paths and driveways, tying beds together without hiding what is behind it.

Rockeries and pots. It tucks into hot pockets between rocks that cook other plants, and it spills nicely from containers and low bowls.

Growing Compact Yellow Buttons in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun for the tightest growth and heaviest flowering. It performs across cool temperate, warm temperate, subtropical, Mediterranean and arid climates, which is close to the whole country, and it is frost hardy.

Soil. Free draining is the only requirement. Sand, gravel and poor soils are all fine; rich, damp ground actually works against it, producing soft floppy growth.

Water and feed. Water weekly for the first six to eight weeks, then let it fend for itself apart from long dry spells. A half rate native slow release fertiliser in spring is plenty.

Pruning. Shear it back by about a third after the main flowering flush. That one cut keeps the mat dense, silver and ready to repeat the show.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Compact Yellow Buttons as single tubes and as 140mm pots in packs of 10 for mass planting. Tubes are small, tough and quick to establish, usually flowering in their first season. The 140mm packs bring more instant cover, with one pack running about 5m of edge at the recommended spacing.

Plants travel well and settle fast. Orders are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Native plants with yellow flowers for your garden
• Plants that thrive in poor soil
• Browse the full groundcover range
• More Australian native plants

Common questions

How long does it flower?

The main flush runs through the warm months, with buttons appearing on and off for much of the year in mild climates. Shearing after the big flush encourages the repeats.

How far apart should I plant it?

50cm apart for a closed carpet within the first year or so. Stretch to 70cm on a budget and let it meet in the middle a season later.

Is it really frost hardy?

Yes. Unlike many silver leafed groundcovers it shrugs off frost, which is why it works in cold inland and tableland gardens as well as on the coast.

Does it need much water?

Only while establishing. After its first couple of months it is one of the most drought tolerant groundcovers we sell, and overwatering does it more harm than neglect.