The Marguerite Daisy ( Argyranthemum ) can be found in any suburban garden. It is fantastic for quick growth, pretty flowers, hedging, and can be somewhat neglected in the garden without killing it! It is found in a variety of colours and grows from a taller than 1 meter high variety, to the compact smaller types and is one of those fabulous plants that can pretty much handle most conditions. I have seen them growing in costal gardens, full sun, sandy loam or clay and even in rockeries.
I have read that they prefer well drained soil, but the local ones I have seen are planted in a mix of clay and compact earth and they grow perfectly well. ( The Adelaide Hills. ) It is also a very attractive plant for bees and butterflies. These plants are a favourite for most gardeners because they flower for such a long period, which can be prolonged and encouraged by regular deadheading and pruning.
Naturally, they can be prone to attack from the usual critters, mealybugs, thrips, aphids and spider mites. Checking your plants for any sort of infestation and quick action will keep your plant healthy and strong.
The bonus with these plants is how very, very easy they are to propagate! Unlike some plants that take what seems to be forever to produce new roots, these will strike within the first three months of putting the cutting in the ground. Which is a good idea to do with your favourite Marguerite Daisy, as their life span is usually limited. After a few seasons they tend to get very woody and it's easier to simply replace the old with a new, fresh plant.
What is also appealing about this particular plant is the variety of colour that you can find.
Listed below are just some of the more popular and recent cultivars of the plant.
Soft pink flowers. Madeira Pink, Summer Stars, Tracey, Federation Daisy, Pink Harmony,
Summer Melody, Sunday Best
Deep pink/red flowers. Fireball Red, Lipstick, Madeira Deep Rose, Bright Carmine, Cabernet
Serenade, Vancouver, Cherry Love
Yellow flowers. Madeira Primrose, Spring Bouquet, Surf City, Butterfly, Lemon Drops
White flowers. Summit White, Frosty, Lovey Dove, Madeira White, Chelsea Girl, Jamaica
Snowstorm, White Spider
Blue Flowers. Blue Marguerite
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