Euryops pectinatus

The Euryops pectinatus, also known as Euryops ligulate or Golden Euryops, is a savannah daisy, a perennial bush close to Euryops chrysanthemoides. It quickly forms a beautiful 1-metre (3 feet) bush covered with elegant, deeply cut foliage of a beautiful grey-green hue, persisting in very mild climates. Its vegetation is almost hidden under a multitude of bright yellow daisies in spring and autumn, with flowering being almost uninterrupted from January to December if the plant is kept frost-free. This ornamental plant is superb in a large pot on the terrace but also in the garden, cultivated as an annual or perennial plant, depending on the region. 

The Euryops pectinatus, also known as Othonna pectinata, is a short-lived perennial shrub of the asteraceae family, just like sunflowers and chrysanthemums. It is a botanical species native to the southwest of the Cape Province in South Africa. This botanical species often grows anchored on sandstone slopes and in ravines, on rocky soil. The plant is composed of a single stem branching near the base, forming a bushy shrub with a rounded habit, averaging 1 to 1.2 metres (3 to 4 feet) in height. Its growth is rapid, with the plant reaching its adult size in 3 years. The foliage, evergreen in mild climates, consists of flexible leaves, measuring 4 to 10 cm (2 to 4in) long, finely cut into irregular teeth (pectinatus means comb-shaped), with a slightly glaucous green colour with silvery reflections. The flowering takes place, depending on the climate, from February to November or even December if there is no frost, with a peak in May-June and then in September-October. The flowers are solitary heads measuring 5 cm (2in) in diameter, carried by long whitish petioles. They are composed of a row of lemon yellow ligules surrounding a golden yellow centre that turns brown. They are followed by the formation of easily self-seeding seeds in light soil. This Euryops, a coastal plant, fears the occasional heatwaves that occur inland: it should be placed in the shade in a cooler environment during very hot and dry weather.

Euryops plants are easy to grow in mild climates, extremely generous, and should be pruned more or less short at the end of each flowering period: many new shoots emerge from the stems, even lignified ones! Plant Euryops, Helianthus, and Senecio (cineraria, grandiflorus, vira-vira) in a coastal garden, as they withstand wind and spray perfectly, tolerate drought, and appreciate both rocky, slightly calcareous soils (predominant along our Mediterranean coasts) and sandy, humus-rich soils, more common along the Atlantic coast of our country. They are beautiful and undemanding flowering bushes, generally characterized by very beautiful evergreen foliage and/or generous flowering, which make a statement in the garden and are admired by visitors. They can also be combined with myrtles, cistus, Leptospermum, Grevillea, Melaleuca, Callistemons, and Galvezia speciosa in large, evergreen and flowering beds for a good part 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.