Clustered Everlasting

Clustered Everlasting (Chrysocephalum semipapposum) is a soft, grey-green Australian native daisy that grows 40cm to 60cm tall and about 90cm wide. From late spring through summer each slender stem ends in a dense cluster of golden yellow button flowers, as many as 70 to a stem on mature plants. It tucks easily into rockeries, borders and drifts among grasses.

Why you'll love it

• Clusters, not single buttons. Each stem carries a head of many small flowers, so you get a far bigger yellow show than from single flowered buttons.
• Soft, silvery foliage. Slender, velvety grey-green leaves look good before and after flowering and set off almost any flower colour.
• Adaptable across the south. It grows wild across the southern states, in grassland, bushland and coastal sand, so it takes to many soils and climates.
• A friend to pollinators. The flowers feed bees and other insects, which makes it a useful plant for wildlife gardens.
• Handles heat. It tolerates hot conditions when watered regularly, and it suits sunny, exposed beds.

Where it works best

Rockeries and borders. At 40cm to 60cm it sits in the front or middle of a sunny border. Its open, branching habit looks best planted among short grasses or other flowering plants, which fill the spaces between stems.

Mass planting. Plant 60cm apart for a soft yellow drift. At that spacing the clumps grow together into a loose carpet in a couple of seasons.

Wild and wildlife gardens. Weave it through native grasses and other small natives for a meadow effect that bees and other insects visit.

Growing Clustered Everlasting in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun maximises flowering, though it tolerates part shade. Because it grows wild across the southern states, it suits cool temperate, warm temperate, Mediterranean and arid gardens, and it also grows in subtropical conditions where drainage is good.

Soil. Plant in well drained soil. Beyond that it is easy going, and in the wild it grows from dry grassland to dappled bush shade and even coastal sand.

Water and feed. Mulch and water well while it establishes. Once settled it handles heat, though regular watering in hot weather keeps the flowering going. Apply a slow release native fertiliser after pruning.

Pruning. Remove spent flowers to encourage new growth, and give a light trim after the main flush to keep the clump compact.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Clustered Everlasting as tube stock, a young plant in an 80mm deep tube that establishes quickly, and in 140mm pots in packs of 10. Tubes are the economical choice for a drift, while the potted packs start with a more developed plant. Expect a small, soft plant on arrival that fills out as it settles in.

Plants 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

• Rockery plants for sunny spots
• Native bee plants
• Plants for mass planting
• Native plants with yellow flowers

Common questions

How is it different from other yellow buttons?

It is taller and bushier than most, closer to the height of a billy button, and each stem carries a cluster of flowers rather than one or two. The leaves are slender and velvety.

Will it grow in shade?

It tolerates part shade, but flowering is best in full sun. In deep shade the plant tends to turn sparse and flower less.

Does it need pruning?

Only lightly. Remove spent flowers to encourage new growth, trim after the main flush and feed after pruning with a slow release native fertiliser.