Daisy Bush

Botanical name: Brachyglottis elaeagnifolia
Synonyms: Senecio elaeagnifolius
Common name(s): Daisy Bush

About:
Leathery bushy subalpine shrub or small tree with grooved furry twigs, papery bark, silvery-backed leaves, and clusters of yellow daisy-like flowers.

Natural habitat:
Upper montane forest margins, subalpine scrub, open upland forest, volcanic slopes, and exposed mountain shrublands.

Growing environment:
Cold tolerant, Frost tolerant, Wind tolerant, Coastal tolerant, Drought tolerant once established, Free-draining soil tolerant, Full sun to partial shade.

Endemic distribution:
Endemic to New Zealand. Found throughout the North Island mountains including Mount Taranaki, and in the South Island mainly north and west of the Main Divide, extending into Stewart Island.

Height:
Typically up to 3 m tall, occasionally reaching 5 m

Width:
Approximately 1–3 m wide

Flowering:
Summer (December–February)

Fruiting:
Summer (December–February)

Uses:

• Native shrub plantings
• Subalpine revegetation
• Coastal and exposed gardens
• Shelter and erosion control
• Wildlife and pollinator gardens
• Native restoration projects

Appearance:

Growth habit:
Evergreen shrub or small tree with a bushy rounded form, grooved branches, brittle twigs, and loose flaky bark.

Leaves:
Leathery obovate to lanceolate-oblong leaves with glossy dark green upper surfaces and dense silvery-white to buff tomentum beneath. Veins prominent above, margins entire, leaves often softly textured underneath.

Flowers:
Loose terminal clusters of small woolly flower heads with creamy-white furry bracts and yellow to orange-yellow disc florets. Flower heads campanulate to cylindrical and carried on stout woolly stalks.

Fruit:
Small angled achenes topped with stiff white pappus hairs aiding wind dispersal.

Ecology:
Well adapted to exposed mountain and volcanic environments. Silvery leaf undersides help reduce moisture loss and protect foliage from cold winds, frost, and intense alpine sunlight.

Associated habitats:
Commonly associated with montane scrub, regenerating upland forest, rocky slopes, volcanic debris fields, and subalpine shrub communities.

How to grow:
Best grown in full sun or light shade with free-draining soil. Tolerates poor rocky soils, wind, frost, and coastal exposure. Avoid prolonged wet or waterlogged conditions.

Propagation:
Usually propagated from fresh seed or semi-hardwood cuttings taken during warmer months.

Threats:
Not regarded as threatened.

Cultural significance:
An important member of New Zealand’s montane and subalpine shrub flora, valued for revegetation and native landscape plantings.

Garden value:
Highly valued for its silvery foliage, hardy nature, papery bark, and bright yellow flowers. Excellent for tough exposed sites, alpine gardens, and native shrub borders.