Monro’s Mountain Daisy

Botanical name: Celmisia monroi

Synonyms: Celmisia monroi var. conspicua, Celmisia minor var. robusta

Common name(s): Monro’s Mountain Daisy, Rock Cotton Plant

About:
A distinctive mountain daisy of the dry north-eastern South Island, forming large rosettes of stiff grey-green leaves covered with a characteristic lead-grey pellicle. It is a hardy species adapted to rocky habitats, screes and limestone outcrops, producing large white daisy flowers above the foliage.

Natural habitat:
Scree slopes, rocky herbfields, limestone outcrops, cliff ledges, fellfields, tussock grasslands and coastal rocky habitats.

Growing environment:
Prefers sunny to semi-shaded positions with moist but very free-draining soil. Well suited to dry alpine and rock garden conditions. Dislikes humidity and prolonged wetness.

Endemic distribution:
Endemic to New Zealand. Found in the north-eastern South Island from the Wairau River south to Kaikōura, Hanmer, Lake Tennyson and adjacent Nelson ranges, with coastal populations north of the Clarence River.

Height:
200–350 mm

Width:
Forms patches of multiple rosettes up to 1 m or more across.

Flowering:
October–February

Fruiting:
November–July

Uses:
• Rock gardens
• Alpine gardens
• Native plant collections
• Dryland gardens
• Scree gardens
• Conservation plantings

Appearance:

Growth habit:
A stout woody-based perennial herb forming clusters of large rosettes from a hidden multi-crowned rootstock. Plants gradually expand into patches containing few to many rosettes.

Leaves:
Stiff lance-shaped to oblong leaves 120–550 mm long. Upper surfaces are dark green but usually obscured by a thick lead-grey pellicle. Undersides are densely covered in shining white tomentum. Leaves are erect, leathery and slightly recurved along the margins.

Flowers:
Large white daisy flowers borne singly on stout woolly stems up to 350 mm tall. Flower heads contain 80–100 white ray florets surrounding a dense yellow centre of numerous disc florets.

Fruit:
Produces ribbed cylindrical achenes that are usually slightly hairy and topped with a white pappus for wind dispersal.

Ecology:
A drought-tolerant species adapted to dry rocky environments throughout the rain-shadow regions of the north-eastern South Island. The dense leaf covering protects plants from intense sunlight, wind and moisture loss.

Associated habitats:
Limestone outcrops, scree slopes, rocky escarpments, cliff ledges, fellfields, dry tussock grasslands, herbfields and coastal limestone bluffs.

How to grow:
Plant in a sunny or lightly shaded position with excellent drainage. Performs best in rock gardens, raised beds or alpine plantings where humidity is low and air movement is good.

Propagation:
Best grown from fresh seed. Seed may be sown immediately after collection or cold stratified for 1–3 months. Established plants can occasionally be divided.

Cultural use:
An iconic mountain daisy of the dry eastern South Island, valued for its ability to thrive in harsh rocky environments and its distinctive silvery foliage.

Garden value:
A highly attractive and reliable species for alpine and dryland gardens. Its large architectural rosettes, silvery-grey foliage and showy white flowers make it one of the most distinctive Celmisia for cultivation.