Tanacetum coccineum Robinson Rose

The Tanacetum coccineum Robinson's Pink (Robinson Rose) is a wildflower formerly classified among chrysanthemums, very easy to grow, ideal for gardeners who have little time to devote to maintaining their flower beds. This variety offers a pretty pastel flowering in the form of simple daisies with a light pink colour enhanced by a yellow center. Easy-to-cultivate perennial plant in well-drained soil, it is also a useful plant in the garden for its natural insecticidal properties. It thrives in any good well-drained soil and flowers for a long time, from May to July, provided that faded flowers are regularly removed. It is also an excellent cut flower.

Tanacetum coccineum is a plant in the Asteraceae family, with characteristic inflorescences called heads. This robust perennial herbaceous plant, capable of living for 20 years, is native to mountainous regions in southwestern Asia and the Caucasus, including Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, and Iraq (Kurdistan). It can also be found in dry and rocky areas in Afghanistan.

'Robinson's Pink' is an interesting selection for its long flowering period with a light and fresh pink colour. The plant forms a mound of finely cut foliage in a matte green-gray colour, reminiscent of yarrow, with an aromatic scent upon contact. An adult plant will reach a height of 40 to 60cm (16 to 24in) when in bloom, 20 to 30cm (8 to 12in) for the foliage, and will widen at the base over time. Flowering occurs from May to June until July, depending on the climate, and it may bloom again in September. The inflorescences are large heads measuring 6 to 7cm (2 to 3in), consisting of a row of light pink ligulate flowers surrounding a center of tiny, fertile golden-yellow flowers known as the heart. The solitary heads bloom at the ends of upright and annulate stems. This abundant flowering, if the soil does not dry out too much, gives way to seeds that easily self-sow in light soil, although not always true to the parent plant. The highest concentration of pyrethrin is found in half-opened flower buds.

The Tanacetum rose, with flower colours ranging from white to red depending on the variety, is an excellent perennial for the garden, floriferous, with vibrant colors, and still retaining the charm of wild plants. It can be invited into a wildflower bed, alongside yarrows, chamomiles, asters, and perennial chrysanthemums with staggered flowering periods. Adding gauras, rosemary, some irises, and tall roses can bring lightness and relief to this scene. It is also a plant appreciated in urban landscaping, as it performs very well in large containers where it often coexists with grasses, lady's mantles, salvias, ground cover roses. These compositions can be used as inspiration to decorate a terrace; they remain decorative for a long time and require little water and maintenance.