Characteristics, care and uses of Argyranthemum frutescens

Argyranthemum frutescens

Plants that have a daisy-like appearance have been used to play with “loves me … doesn’t love me …” In this case, we are talking about the Argyranthemum frutescens. Its common name is woody margarita or margarita de Canarias. By its common name we can see where it comes from. Although it has always been called removing the daisies to play with them, what we really remove are the bracts and not the leaves. It belongs to the compound family and is native to the Canary Islands.

In this article we are going to tell you about the characteristics of the Argyranthemum frutescens and what care it needs so that we can enjoy its beauty and color in the garden.

Key features

Pink daisies

In the area of ​​the Canaries, there are numerous subspecies such as ssp. frutescens, ssp. canariae, ssp. Foeniculaceum, ssp. gracilescens, ssp. parviflorum, ssp. pumilum Humphries, ssp. succulent Humphries, etc. All of these plants have a daisy-like appearance and have some similar characteristics in common.

The difference of Argyranthemum frutescens with the rest of the plants is that it has undergone important genetic improvements in order to obtain specimens with a greater ornamental value. Genetic improvements have focused on potential the color, the shape of the flowers or giving some new shapes to the plant. In this way, a new ornamental value is achieved to the plant for gardens and even interiors.

Due to the varieties and the best genetics, we cannot speak of an average height of this plant. The vast majority of these plants are intended for the garden. If you put them together you can form great large vegetable masses, with a compact and globose appearance. Regarding the height of the set, we can approximate that it ranges between half a meter and others that exceed one and a half meters. They can also serve as background plants in the garden, although it is more interesting to put them where it is best seen and its color can be enjoyed.

The leaves of this plant They are bipinnate with a size between 5 and 10 centimeters long. Its flowers have a chapter with a variable size depending on the variety. These flowers can be between 3 and 8 centimeters in diameter and have yellow central flowers (as in common daisies) and ligulate peripheral flowers with a color that varies between purple, yellow or white.

Bracts are often mistaken for petals. At the beginning of everything, the color of the bracts was white. However, after the genetic improvements to which they have been subjected, they have been able to give them a whole assortment of new and innovative colors and shapes.

Sowing the Argyranthemum frutescens

daisies

The flowering of these daisies takes place between the beginning of spring and the middle of autumn. If we want to have it in our garden, we must take into account different aspects in its care. The location is something important to take into account, since it will condition the rest of the care and the good condition of the plant.

For the plant to enjoy good health we need to place it in an area of ​​the garden where it has direct light. At least one area where you can give it several hours of light a day. This is absolutely necessary if we want to obtain an abundant flowering and well compact plants. On the other hand, if we want to plant them in pots, we must guarantee that they are large since they need a large volume of substrate to be able to feed well and have good flowering.

When we sow it in the gardenyou must leave at least 40 cm between plant and plant and layer of soil. This space is enough for the plant to absorb the necessary nutrients to develop properly. It is a fairly rustic plant, that is, it supports unfavorable conditions with hardly any problems. However, although it is able to withstand various types of conditions, it prefers those that are fertile with medium texture. The more organic matter the soil has, the better.

An important aspect must be taken into account and that is the drainage of the soil. To avoid that the rains or the irrigation have to be stored and damage the plant, we need a soil that has good drainage. You also need a soil with a slightly acidic or neutral pH. As we have mentioned before, it is a rustic plant and, although it has a warm climate, it also resists the cold quite well, to the point of withstanding light frosts.

Care Argyranthemum frutescens

Argyranthemum frutescens varieties

Once we have planted our daisies, we must take into account certain aspects in their maintenance. For example, it is a plant that requires constant humidity. It does not support dry places. Being a warm climate plant, they usually want humidity to be always fresh. To guarantee that humidity, waterings must be frequent, especially in the warmest months of the year.

The indicator that we have to water again is to see how the soil begins to dry out. If we do not want to water so often, we can give it a spray from time to time to also maintain some environmental humidity.

As for its maintenance, after flowering it is advisable to prune it so that we can obtain a more compact development of the plant. It usually withstands severe pruning quite well as long as it is carried out after the flowering season. To multiply the Argyranthemum frutescenswe will need tender cuttings. The best time to do it is spring and autumn. During these times the temperatures are more pleasant and the rains also begin.

Among the most prominent uses we have isolated specimens or in bushy groups. It is used to cover areas of patios, balconies and terraces. In general, they support some proximity to the sea well, although this causes the soil to have a certain degree of salinity. Thanks to this, even if you have a coastal garden, you can have these beautiful flowers. If the garden where you have planted it is not too rich in organic matter, before seeing how the flowers grow uglier, it is recommended to fertilize with manure or compost at the end of winter. What’s moreIt is advisable to add a mineral fertilizer every 3 weeks in hot spring and summer times.

As you can see, the Argyranthemum frutescens It has some more demanding care, but it is worth having.

Characteristics, care and uses of Argyranthemum frutescens

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