Rhodanthemum hosmariense (Moroccan Daisy) - A perennial or sub-shrub that grows to 8 inches tall by about 2 feet wide with silvery finely cut foliage and 2-inch-wide flowers composed of white ray flowers and large yellow centers composed of the disk flowers. The flowers rise above the foliage over a long period, with the peak being in winter. Plant in full sun in a well-drained soil and irrigate occasionally. It is drought tolerant and hardy to at least 13°F - the RHS listing is H4 meaning hardy throughout the British Isles. This plant grows well in our mediterranean climate but only tolerates winter rainfall if planted in a sunny location on a mound or in well-drained soil.
Rhodanthemum hosmariense is native to the mountains of Morocco. It is one of 15 accepted species in the genus, with 14 coming from North Africa (primarily Morocco) and one that grows up into southern Spain. Though unrelated to the true rose in the genus Rosa, the genus name comes from the Greek words 'rhodon', meaning a "rose" and anthemum meaning a "flower". The specific epithet is a reference to the location where this plant is found in the Beni Hosmar, the highest peak in the northwestern Riff Mountains (also known as the Lesser Atlas Mountains), near Tetouan, Morocco.
Originally part of the large genus Chrysanthemum (as Chrysanthemum hosmariense), this plant was split off in 1993 in a monograph by Kare Bremer & Christopher Humphreys in the Bulletin of the Natural History Museum of London. While working on this monograph the authors had proposed the name Pyrethropsis but changed it prior to publishing the name and the following year in Kare Bremer's Asteraceae: Cladistics and Classification (Timber Press, 1994) where the name of the genus was listed as Rhodanthemum, making the correct name Rhodanthemum hosmariense ( Ball ) B.H.Wilcox , K.Bremer & Humphries. Unfortunately, the originally proposed name Pyrethropsis hosmariense was published in several books while the name was still being worked out and both Rhodanthemum hosmariense (Ball ) B.H.Wilcox , K.Bremer & Humphries and Pyrethropsis hosmariense (Ball) "Wilcox, K.Bremer & Humphries" were listed as valid names on the Plant List, the collaboration between the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden and on the Global Compositae Checklist. This is obvious error has since been corrected and now only Rhodanthemum hosmariense is listed in the Kew database. This plant is also commonly sold under the name Leucanthemum hosmariense. This beautiful plant received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit (AGM) in 1993 and we have grown and sold it (under its various names) since 1994.
The information about Rhodanthemum hosmariens displayed on this web page is based on our research conducted in the nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also include observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share cultural information that would aid others in growing this plant. |