Gold Coin Daisy

Gold Coin Daisy (Asteriscus maritimus 'Teris Yellow') is a fast growing Mediterranean groundcover that stays under 30cm tall and spreads to about 80cm, carrying bright yellow daisy flowers over most of the warm year. It is drought tolerant, heat tolerant and salt tolerant, so it holds up in the hot, exposed, poorly watered positions where most flowering groundcovers give out.

Why you'll love it

• Flowers almost continuously. Yellow daisies appear from spring through to autumn on established plants, rather than in a single short flush.
• Low and spreading. At 30cm high and 80cm across it hugs the ground, so it never blocks a view or crowds a path edge.
• Coastal and heat proof. Salt spray, reflected heat off paving and long dry spells are all within its tolerance, which is why it turns up in beachfront plantings.
• Bee and butterfly friendly. The open daisy flowers are easy for pollinators to feed on across a long season.

Where it works best

Groundcover and edging. Plant 40cm apart for a dense cover. At that spacing the plants meet within a season, given how quickly this one grows, and the yellow reads as a continuous band along a bed.

Coastal gardens. Salt tolerance and a low profile make it a good fit for exposed front gardens and beachside verges where taller planting gets burnt.

Rockeries and pots. It spills over rock, gravel and pot rims naturally, and the sharp drainage of both suits it better than an improved garden bed.

Growing Gold Coin Daisy in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, without compromise. Shade produces sparse growth and very few flowers. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, Mediterranean and arid or semi-arid gardens, and tolerates light frost only, so cool temperate and tableland districts are not the right home for it.

Soil. Sandy and gravelly soils are ideal. Drainage is the one thing it insists on, so raise the bed on clay and skip the rich compost, which produces soft growth and fewer flowers.

Water and feed. Water twice a week through the first summer, then only in prolonged dry weather. A light controlled release fertiliser in early spring is enough. Overwatering is the most common way to lose this plant.

Pruning. Shear it back by about a third after the main flowering flush to keep it tight and encourage the next round of buds. Without that trim it opens up and goes woody in the centre after a few years.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in two sizes: tubes, and 140mm pots in packs of ten. Both are young plants, and given how fast this one grows the tubes are usually the better value for covering an area, since they catch a larger plant within a single season. The 140mm pots give a quicker result in a small bed or a pot.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Soft stemmed groundcovers can look flattened after transit and recover within a week or two. Expect flowering in the first warm season after planting. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Choosing the right edging plants
• Browse the full groundcover range
• Salt tolerant plants for coastal gardens
• Compare other rockery plants

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it?

Forty centimetres apart for a dense groundcover. It grows quickly, so that spacing usually closes over within one warm season rather than two.

How much sun does it need?

As much as you can give it. Full sun all day produces the compact habit and heavy flowering it is grown for, while shade gives you a thin, sparse plant with few blooms.

Will it survive frost?

Light frost only. An occasional cold morning is survivable in a warm temperate garden, but repeated hard frost will kill it, so cold districts should treat it as a potted plant.

Why has mine stopped flowering?

Usually too much water, too much shade or a missed trim. Shear it back by a third after the main flush, ease off the watering, and it will set buds again.