Celmisia gracilenta

Botanical name: Celmisia gracilenta
Synonyms: None commonly recognised
Common name(s): Common Mountain Daisy, Pekapeka

About:
Celmisia gracilenta is one of New Zealand’s most widespread and adaptable mountain daisies. It forms graceful tufts of narrow, grass-like silver-backed leaves and produces delicate white daisy flowers on slender stems during summer. It was the first Celmisia species collected by Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander during Captain Cook’s voyage in 1770.

Natural habitat:
Subalpine scrub, alpine herbfields, tussock grasslands, wetlands, bogs, volcanic plateaus, ultramafic soils and open mountain country.

Growing environment:
Thrives in cool, open sites with good drainage and plenty of sunlight. Adaptable to a range of alpine and subalpine conditions, including moist grasslands and seasonally wet habitats.

Endemic distribution:
Endemic to New Zealand. Found throughout much of the North, South and Stewart Islands, from south of the Coromandel Peninsula to low alpine areas.

Height:
25–40 cm in flower

Width:
15–40 cm

Flowering:
December–March

Fruiting:
Late summer to autumn

Uses:

• Alpine and rock gardens
• Native grassland plantings
• Wetland margins and bog gardens
• Ecological restoration projects
• Native alpine collections

Appearance:

Growth habit:
A slender tufted perennial forming dense clumps from a short pseudo-stem.

Leaves:
Long, narrow, grass-like leaves 5–20 cm long and 2–4 mm wide. Upper surfaces are grey-green and often coated with a silvery membrane, while the undersides are densely covered in white silky hairs. Margins are strongly rolled under.

Flowers:
White daisy flowers 1.5–3 cm across with yellow centres, borne singly on slender stems above the foliage.

Fruit:
Produces small wind-dispersed seeds equipped with a tuft of fine hairs that aid dispersal.

Ecology:
An important component of New Zealand alpine ecosystems. The flowers provide food for a range of native insects, including flies, moths and pollinating beetles. Seeds are dispersed by wind, allowing the species to colonise open mountain habitats.

Associated habitats:
Tussock grasslands, herbfields, alpine wetlands, bogs, volcanic plateaus, ultramafic soils, open mountain slopes and subalpine scrub.

How to grow:
Plant in full sun or light shade in a free-draining soil. Although tolerant of a range of alpine conditions, it performs best where moisture is reliable and temperatures remain cool. Avoid prolonged humidity and heavy, waterlogged soils.

Propagation:
Usually propagated from fresh seed. Germination generally occurs within four to six weeks under suitable conditions. Established clumps may also be divided carefully.

Cultural use:
Known by the Māori name pekapeka. As one of the most widespread mountain daisies, it is a characteristic species of New Zealand’s alpine and subalpine landscapes.

Garden value:
A versatile and attractive mountain daisy with elegant narrow foliage and cheerful white flowers. Its adaptability makes it one of the easiest alpine Celmisia species for cool-climate gardens, rockeries and native plant collections.