Cut Leaf Daisy Surdaisy Pink

Cut Leaf Daisy 'Surdaisy Pink' (Brachyscome multifida 'Surdaisy Pink') is a hardy Australian native groundcover that flowers for most of the year. It spreads to about 60cm across and stays under 30cm tall, forming a soft mat of fine ferny foliage covered in small pink daisies. For an edge, a rockery pocket or a pot that has to look good with little attention, it is hard to beat.

Why you'll love it

• Flowers almost all year. The main show runs from spring through autumn, and in mild gardens it keeps going through winter with only a short pause.
• Genuinely tough. Frost hardy, drought tolerant, heat tolerant and salt tolerant, so an exposed front garden or a hot driveway strip is no trouble.
• Fast to cover ground. It closes the gaps in a season, which keeps weeds down and cuts the mulching bill.
• Native and full of bees. An Australian native that feeds bees and butterflies through most of the year.

Where it works best

Groundcover and mass planting. Plant 30cm apart for continuous cover. At that spacing the mats meet in one growing season and the bed reads as a single sheet of foliage and flower.

Borders and edging. It softens the edge of a path or driveway and stays low enough that it never blocks a view.

Pots, rockeries and coastal gardens. It spills over the rim of a pot or a rock ledge, and salt tolerance makes it reliable in a beachside garden.

Growing Cut Leaf Daisy in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun for the heaviest flowering, though it accepts part shade with fewer flowers and looser growth. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens, and is frost hardy, so cold southern districts are no problem. It is not a plant for the wet tropics.

Soil. Free draining soil is the one real requirement. Sandy and gravelly ground is ideal. On clay, plant into a raised bed with coarse sand and compost worked through, because wet feet in winter will rot it.

Water and feed. Water twice a week for the first two months, then only in long dry spells. A light dose of low phosphorus native fertiliser in early spring is plenty. Heavy feeding gives soft growth and fewer flowers.

Pruning. Shear the plant back by about a third after the main flowering flush to keep it dense and bring on the next round of buds. Old plants that thin out in the middle are best replaced.

What to expect when it arrives

It comes as tube stock and in 140mm pots in packs of ten. Tubes are young but well rooted, and they are the economical way to plant a large bed, since they establish fast and flower within a few months. The 140mm packs give a fuller result straight away and suit smaller borders and pots.

A few bent stems or dropped flowers after transit are normal. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Water in well and expect visible spread within four to six weeks in warm weather. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Compare other groundcover plants.
• Browse the wider Australian native range.
• Read our guide to choosing plants for ground cover.
• See more bee and butterfly plants.

Common questions

How many plants do I need?

At 30cm spacing, allow about 11 plants per square metre for quick, even cover. A 3m by 1m border strip therefore takes around 33 plants, which suits the pack of ten sizing.

How long does it flower?

Spring through autumn is the main run, and in frost free gardens it often carries a scattering of flowers right through winter. Shearing after the heaviest flush brings the next one on faster.

Why has my plant gone bare in the middle?

Usually age, or a lack of trimming. Shear the plant back by a third each year to keep it dense, and replace clumps that have opened up after three or four years.