Monro’s Groundsel

Botanical name: Brachyglottis monroi
Synonyms: Senecio monroi; Senecio monroi var. monroi; Brachyglottis monroi var. monroi; Senecio monroi var. elongatus; Brachyglottis monroi var. elongata
Common name(s): Monro’s Groundsel

About:
A compact evergreen shrub with olive-green leathery leaves that are white beneath and attractively wavy along the margins. Bright yellow daisy flowers appear in dense clusters through summer.

Natural habitat:
Montane to subalpine shrubland, rocky slopes, bluffs, and exposed alpine margins.

Growing environment:
Drought tolerant, Wind tolerant, Frost tolerant, Poor soil tolerant, Free-draining soil tolerant, Full sun tolerant.

Endemic distribution:
Endemic to the South Island of New Zealand, mainly in Marlborough and northern Canterbury.

Height:
Up to 1 m tall

Width:
Approximately 1.5 m wide

Flowering:
Summer (December–March)

Fruiting:
Summer–Autumn (January–March)

Uses:

• Rock and alpine gardens
• Dry native shrub plantings
• Coastal and exposed gardens
• Low-maintenance native landscapes
• Pollinator gardens
• Erosion control on dry slopes

Appearance:

Growth habit:
Bushy much-branched evergreen shrub with densely arranged branchlets and compact rounded form.

Leaves:
Narrow to obovate-oblong leathery leaves olive to brownish green above and densely white felted beneath, with distinctive wavy crenate margins.

Flowers:
Bright yellow daisy-like flower heads borne singly or in clustered pseudo-corymbs near the branch tips.

Fruit:
Small grooved achenes topped with fine barbellate pappus hairs dispersed by wind.

Ecology:
Adapted to dry rocky subalpine environments where its compact form and leathery foliage help tolerate exposure and moisture stress.

Associated habitats:
Commonly found in montane shrubland, rocky outcrops, screes, and exposed subalpine slopes.

How to grow:
Requires full sun and excellent drainage. Thrives in dry rocky soils and tolerates wind, poor soils and summer drought once established.

Propagation:
Usually propagated from fresh seed or semi-hardwood cuttings.

Cultural use:
Part of the distinctive alpine and dryland flora of the northern South Island and valued for its hardy ornamental qualities.

Garden value:
An excellent hardy shrub for difficult dry sites, valued for its contrasting silver-backed foliage, compact form and cheerful yellow summer flowers.