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Alpine Rockery

Craspedia glauca

bachelor's buttons

A short-lived evergreen perennial, forming a rosette of hairy, grey-green leaves. In summer it produces tight, spherical clusters of yellow flowers atop stiff stems to 40cm tall. Best grown in a rock garden, trough or alpine house

Other common names

common billy buttons

Synonyms

Craspedia richea

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Ultimate height

0.1–0.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Asteraceae
Native to the UK: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Tufted
Genus: Craspedia can be annuals or perennials with simple, sometimes white-hairy leaves in basal rosettes and long-stalked, dense hemispherical flower-heads
Name status: Correct
Plant range: South Australia

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in sharply-drained, low-fertility, humus-rich, gritty soil in full sun; protect from excessive winter wet. Under glass, grow in a mix of equal parts loam, leaf mould and sharp sand, with a top-dressing of grit. Water freely when in growth (avoiding the foliage); keep just moist in winter

Propagation

Propagate by seed or division in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Gravel garden
Patio and container plants
Rock garden

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to slugs and snails

Diseases

Generally disease-free

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