Craspedia glauca

RHS Plant Profile
bachelor's buttons

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Other common names

common billy buttons

Synonyms

Craspedia richea

Alpine Rockery

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

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
2–5 years
Max Spread
0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height
0.1-0.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Loam Sand
Moisture
Well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

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)
H4

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Asteraceae
Native to GB/Ireland
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