Argyranthemum frutescens Butterfly Yellow - Marguerite bush

The AnthemisorArgyranthemum frutescens 'Butterfly', a bright, lemon-yellow Canary Island daisy, is part of the plants generally grouped under the name chrysanthemum. This recent and vigorous variety, selected for its performance in the garden, is not afraid of heat, allowing it to flower almost continuously for as long as the summer lasts, so much so that it is sometimes difficult to see its beautiful, dark green, lobed foliage. Not very hardy, this fast-growing perennial plant is grown as an annual in sunny, well-drained soil. It is an ideal variety for large flowering pots, but also very beautiful in rock gardens or borders.

The Argyranthemum frutescens is a woody and tender perennial native to the Canary Islands, whose excellent ability to be grown in pots has piqued the interest of hybridizers who have developed numerous cultivars that are increasingly brilliant and easier to grow for enthusiasts.

The 'Butterfly' selection was born in the USA under the Indiana sun. More compact than the standard variety, the plant will reach a height of 60 cm (24in) with a spread of 40-50 cm (16-20in). It grows rapidly. The abundant flowering takes place from June to October, even more generously if the faded flowers are regularly removed. The flowers resemble small 4 cm (2in) daisies, they are heads. Around a small golden-yellow center radiate wide, rounded ray florets, gradually changing from lemon yellow, slightly darker at the base and lighter on the periphery, giving the head a particularly bright appearance. The stems are highly branched, with pinnatilobate leaves, forming a very abundant decorative foliage, dark green, aromatic when crushed and very light in appearance. It is evergreen above freezing temperatures. The Argyranthemum frutescens is hardy up to -3/-4°C (26.6/24.8°F).

Being sun lovers par excellence, frutescent anthems fear excessive moisture in winter more than anything else. In areas spared from frost, plant them in well-drained, slightly acidic, neutral, or strongly alkaline soil. Forming delightful, fully bloomed tufts in no time, the 'Butterfly' Chrysanthemum looks superb alongside fennel, perennial flax, borage, cosmos, or blue and white nigellas. It can be planted in country-style borders with Asphodeline lutea, Asclepias tuberosa, but also in more carefully maintained flower beds, rock gardens, stair borders, or at the bend of a path in a steep garden. And of course, it offers a fantastic display in flowering pots, alongside Calibrachoa and dwarf artemisias, silver baskets, and ageratums. It can also be combined in a large container with purple brachyscome, Sanvitalia, pale yellow nemesia, and California poppy for an orange touch, with all these delicate flowers complementing the stronger presence of a Heuchera Lime Marmalade, for example.

Note: Please be aware that our plug plants are professional products reserved for experienced gardeners: upon receipt, transplant and store them under cover (veranda, greenhouse, cold frame) at a temperature above 14°C (57.2°F) for a few weeks before being planted outdoors once the risk of frost has definitively passed.