Olearia phlogopappa 'Comber's Blue'
dusty daisy bush 'Comber's Blue'
'Comber's Blue' is an upright shrub up to 2m high with oblong to narrowly obovate, aromatic leaves 3-4cm long with shallowly toothed wavy edges, grey-green above, densely covered with white or grey-white wool below, and many clusters up to 7cm across of flowerheads, each 3cm across and with mid-blue ray-florets and yellow centres, so that they look like shrubby Michaelmas daisies, but flowering in spring and early summer
Size
Ultimate height
1.5–2.5 metresTime to ultimate height
5–10 yearsUltimate spread
1.5–2.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drained, Well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Blue Yellow | Green Grey Silver White | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Blue Yellow | Green Grey Silver White | ||
| Autumn | Green Grey Silver White | |||
| Winter | Green Grey Silver White |
Position
- Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered Hardiness
H4Botanical details
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Native to the UK
- No
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Habit
- Columnar upright
- Genus
Olearia can be evergreen shrubs, small trees or herbaceous perennials, with simple, leathery, toothed or entire leaves and corymbs of daisy-like flower-heads
- Name status
Accepted
How to grow
Cultivation
Grow in a sheltered position in well-drained soil in full sun
Propagation
Propagate by semi-ripe cuttings in summer, by heeled hardwood cuttings of lateral shoots in a cold frame in early autumn, or by softwood cuttings treated with rooting hormone and rooted in a closed case or under mist in spring
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- City and courtyard gardens
- Coastal
- Cottage and informal garden
- Mediterranean climate plants
- Low Maintenance
- Wall side borders
- Flower borders and beds
Pruning
Pruning group 8 (early-flowering evergreen shrubs)
Pests
Generally pest-free
Diseases
Generally disease-free but may be susceptible to honey fungus (rarely)
Get involved
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.