Euryops chrysanthemoides Sonnenschein

The Euryops chrysanthemoides 'Sonnenschein' is a South African savannah daisy, a large perennial bush appreciated for its endless flowering of golden yellow. This variety, vigorous, produces a large quantity of flowers first in spring, after the cold winter, and then again in autumn, thanks to the return of rain in the Mediterranean region. On the Atlantic coast of our region, where it is wetter, its flowering is uninterrupted from spring until the end of summer. Euryops are extremely generous plants of mild climates and it is necessary to prune them more or less short at the end of each flowering period: many new shoots appear on the stems, even the lignified ones!

The Euryops chrysanthemoides, also known as Gamolepis chrysanthemoides, is a shrubby perennial of the asteraceae family, just like sunflowers and chrysanthemums. It is a botanical species native to the western province of the Cape (KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, and Swaziland) in South Africa. It often grows on the edge of forests and in ravines, on rocky soil. The 'Sonnenschein' variety, composed of upright branches branching at the top, develops into a dense bush that reaches an average height of 1.20 m (4ft) when in flower and is 90 cm (35in) wide. Its growth is quite rapid during the first years. The foliage, evergreen in mild climates, consists of flexible, finely cut leaves with irregularly dentate edges, of a fairly dark green color. Flowering takes place, depending on the climate, from March to June, then from September to November, or even December, or even all winter if there is no frost. It lasts about two months, from May to July, in regions outside our coastal areas or in greenhouses. The flowers are solitary heads, 3 to 4 cm (1 to 2in) in diameter, composed of a row of yellow ligulate flowers surrounding a golden yellow center that turns brown. They are followed by the formation of seeds that easily self-sow in light soil.

Plant Euryops, Helianthus, and Senecio in a coastal garden, they perfectly withstand wind and sea spray, drought, and appreciate both rocky, even slightly chalky soils (which dominate along Mediterranean coasts) and sandy, humus-rich soils, more common along the Atlantic coast of our country. They are beautiful, flowering, joyful, and undemanding bushes, generally with very beautiful evergreen foliage, and/or generous flowering, which make a statement in the garden. Euryops can also be associated with Myrtles, Cistus, Leptospermum, Grevillea, Melaleuca, Callistemons, and Galvezia speciosa in large, evergreen, and flowering beds for most of spring and summer. They also thrive in large pots, on a well-sheltered terrace or balcony. Gardeners in more continental regions, where winters are harsh and humid, should bring them indoors to a slightly heated greenhouse.