Euryops chrysanthemoides (African Bush-daisy) - An evergreen sub-shrub that grows in a compact mound-like bush 3 to 5 feet tall by an equal or slightly wider width. It has 3 inch long dark glossy-green leaves that are deeply lobed and are crowded near branch tips. Nearly year round appear the 2-inch-wide daisy composite flowers with yellow ray flowers and golden disc flowers in the center held up on 3- to 5-inch-long stems (peduncles) with peak flowering fall through spring.
Plant in full sun with only occasional to very little irrigation. Listed hardy to 25 degrees F but has proven to tolerate short durations down to at least 20 F and can re-emerge from the roots if frozen to the ground so is useful either as a perennial or an evergreen shrub in USDA Zones 8 to 11 and is tolerant heat, moderate drought, poor soils and near seaside conditions. This is an attractive shrub that seems to bloom year-round in coastal southern California and requires less water than the more common green form of Euryops pectinatus often sold as Euryops pectinatus 'Viridis' but is likely a hybrid between Euryops chrysanthemoides and Euryops pectinatus. Lower stems are often bare but hidden behind dense growth at branch tips, so plants usually appear as a solid green foil to the cheery yellow flowers which are attractive to butterflies and other pollen and nectar feeding insects and birds are known to eat the seeds. A nice, neat plant for a foundation planting, massing or as a tall groundcover. It is also useful in small flower arrangements as the flowers do not close at night as some other daisies do.
Euryops chrysanthemoides occurs naturally in the Eastern Cape, along the coast and inland, to KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Swaziland where it is found along forest edges, ravines, within coastal scrub, grassland and disturbed areas. It was first described in 1838 by the Swiss botanist Augustin Pyramus de Candolle as Gamolepis chrysanthemoides but reclassified as a species of Euryops by the Swedish botanist Bertil Nordenstam in 1968 based on its chromosome count. The name for the genus comes from the Greek words 'eury' (or 'eurys') meaning "large" or "broad" and 'ops' (or 'opos') meaning "resemblance", "sight" or "the eye" probably in reference to the large eye-like flowers. The specific epithet means "resembling chrysanthemum". The genus Chrysanthemum gets its name from the Greek words 'chrysos' meaning "gold" and 'anthemon' meaning "flower" in reference to a golden flowered species. Other common names include Daisy-bush, Golden Daisy Bush and Paris daisy, though this latter name usually refers to the marguerite daisy, Argyranthemum frutescens. Because of its attractive foliage and continual production of bright yellow flowers this plant was a popular ornamental plant in California under its older name of Gamolepis chrysanthemoides but in early 1980s the green hybrid Euryops, often sold as Euryops pectinatus 'Viridis' or 'Green Gold' supplanted it in nurseries and eventually Euryops chrysanthemoides became uncommon in California except in older landscapes. In these locations we noted it looking great and surviving with minimal care and irrigation, so brought it back into cultivation, promoting it as the superior plant.
The information about Euryops chrysanthemoides 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. |