Senecio 'Sunshine' (Brachyglottis, Daisy Bush) – Evergreen Shrub (2L Pot)

A dense, mound-forming evergreen grown for its silver-grey foliage, with yellow daisies in early summer.

This is the grey-leaved shrub still widely sold as Senecio greyi and now correctly Brachyglottis. The oval leaves are felted white underneath and edged in silver, which gives the whole plant a luminous look and makes it a useful foil for stronger colours. Bright yellow daisies open in June and July. Some gardeners love them and some cut them off and keep the plant purely for its leaves, and either is a reasonable thing to do. It is not the annual silver bedding cineraria, which is a different plant altogether.

It wants full sun and sharp drainage, and it is excellent in salt wind, so it earns its place in an exposed seaside garden. Full sun is what keeps the silver colour, though it will take some shade. What usually kills it is a cold wet winter on heavy ground rather than the cold itself, so improve the drainage before you plant. Once settled it is drought tolerant and asks for very little. Prune lightly after flowering to keep it compact and to bring on fresh silver growth. It grows well in a large container.

Supplied as an established plant in a 2 litre pot, ready to plant out or pot on.

Cultural Information

Common Name: Senecio Sunshine, daisy bush, Brachyglottis

Fully Grown Height and Spread: 75 to 100cm tall and 1 to 1.5m wide

Growth Habit: Bushy, dense and mound forming

Perfect For: Borders, coastal and gravel gardens, low informal hedging and large containers

Foliage: Evergreen, silver-grey oval leaves with white felted undersides

Flowering Time: June to July, bright yellow daisy flowers

Planting Position: Full sun or partial shade, excellent in coastal wind, drought tolerant once established and happy in a container

Soil Type: Well-drained, and tolerant of poor, dry and sandy ground

Hardiness: Hardy in most of Britain; a cold wet winter on heavy soil is the risk, not the cold

Maintenance: Low; a light prune after flowering keeps it compact

Seasonal Interest: Yellow daisies in summer over silver foliage

Type: Evergreen shrub