Daisies in December?

Daisies in December?

Looking for something bright, cheery and unique to plant this winter? Try the Euryops plant. This non-invasive perennial is often available at Home Depot, Loews and many valley nurseries; the price is about $9.00 for a 2.5 quart size plant. Pronounced, ‘You-ree-ops’ and means “large eye”, this plant is also known as the African Bush Daisy.  Native to Southern Africa, this plant will withstand our winters here in Sun Lakes as well as our summers. (Yay). This shrub has gray-green leaves, loves full sun and in our area, comes in the colors of yellow or white. Besides full sun it likes a well drained rocky soil as does it’s distant relative, the SunFlower.

If pinched and plucked a few weeks after blooming, these cute daisies will continue to comeback a few times throughout the winter. They can go dormant acting as a simple shrub, until blooming again in the spring.                                                                                                      It’s necessary to prune back heavily every few years in the early spring or the plant will get woody with long, leggy stems. This shrub-like plant can get 2-4 feet high and spread about 3 feet as well. It likes to be watered deeply at about every 10 days and doesn’t need a lot of fertilization or soil amendment. Euryops has very little odor; but the bright colors do tend to attract bees and butterflies. It is not an “itchy” plant so it works well in a walkway or entry way with full sun and is lovely in both desert gardens and rock gardens. If the temps drop below 32 degrees, it’s best to throw a covering over the plant after dark.                                      You can expect to enjoy the Euryops plant and it’s delicate daisies for 3-4 years to come.        The Bonus: A Euryops plant is handy to have as an impromptu small bouquet by clipping at the base of the stems.