Shrubby argyranthemum

Shrubby argyranthemum (syn. marguerite chrysanthemum, Chrysanthemum frutescens) is a perennial herbaceous plant from the family Asteraceae. In cultivation it is grown as an annual.

Native range: Canary Islands

Plant description: A variable, semi-rounded shrub, 40-100 cm tall. Leaves pinnately lobed or twice pinnately lobed, juicy green or silvery-gray.

Many small white, pink or yellow flower heads; blooms in July–September. It is grown in two forms — as a small potted plant (when using retardants such as CCC, Basacel, Topflor), and as a large, freely flowering shrub from early spring. Often grown in standard (single-stem) form.

Best cultivars:

'Dana' - the flower heads only slightly rise above the striking bluish-green shoots, which barely reach 30 cm in height. The leaves bend outward, so the small bushes occupy quite a large area.

Argyranthemum 'Dana'

'Flamingo' - distinguished by the delicate pink color of the ray florets. Shoots reach 50 cm in height. When designing flower beds, note that this argyranthemum pairs well with sulfur-yellow colored flowers.

'Sweety' - has longer shoots (up to 70 cm). The variety is characterized by unusually bright green foliage and delicate pink flower heads, which have a white ring around the disc of yellow tubular flowers.

Argyranthemum 'Mary Wootton'

Location: Argyranthemum prefers steady warmth, but not scorching heat, and when grown in greenhouses often suffers from excess bright sunlight. As soon as the last nighttime frosts have passed, the plant should be transplanted into the open ground, taking care that the soil does not dry out even for a single day.

Soil: fertile, light, well-draining. Does not tolerate wet soils!

Care: In the native range of this species, the Canary Islands, the weather is warm but not hot year-round. Air and soil are constantly cooled by a cool sea breeze. Keep this in mind when caring for argyranthemum plantings. Timely and sufficient watering is necessary. Argyranthemum can bloom so profusely that it sometimes dies after exhausting all its internal reserves. Don't forget to feed the plants several times in summer with a liquid fertilizer. Removing spent flowers will extend the flowering period. In autumn the plants begin to wither even before frosts occur. At this time they are also affected by powdery mildew. They should be destroyed as soon as the first signs of disease appear.

Propagation: by seeds and cuttings. If desired, at the end of summer argyranthemum can be propagated by cuttings by taking stem cuttings and keeping them in a bright, cool room at a temperature not below 5°C.

Uses: Usually grown exclusively as a seasonal annual to decorate flower beds and containers. In commercial production argyranthemums are often treated with special growth inhibitors to keep plants compact. However, there are varieties for which this growth habit is natural. It combines well with almost all annuals; varieties with yellow flowers look especially attractive next to blue-violet flowers.