General Description: An erect, perennial herb, to 75 cm tall, with narrow leaves, at the base of and along red to purple flower stems, which bear a large, yellow, ‘button flower’.
Flowers and Fruit: Globular, yellow, flower-heads on slender stems, to 30 mm diameter, consisting of numerous, small tubular florets. Flowers from September to February.
Site Preference and Tolerances: Prefers waterlogged soils of swampy ground but will grow in well drained soils if watered from time to time.
Life Span: This perennial plant has grown for many years in our seed production area; it sometimes dies down in late summer but comes up again in autumn/winter.
Wildlife Value: Good butterfly food plant that also provides food to other insects which in turn provide food for birds.
Other Values and Uses: Makes a good cut flower and is suitable for rockeries and mixed borders and can be used as a container plant if well watered. Flowers for a very long time (over 4 months). If flowers are cut, and the plant is watered well, this will increase and extend the flowering. This beautiful plant is suitable for mass planting and pond areas.
Germination Information: Usually grows well in a 2 to 4 weeks without any treatment but germination increases with light so it is good to surface sow or only cover lightly with soil. For best results sow in autumn.