How to Grow Celmisia Plants in your Garden

Gardener's HQ Guide to Growing Mountain Daisy

Celmisia plants can be hardy or half hardy perennials.

They bloom with daisy-like flowers of white in the summer.

The flowers sit atop stems that may reach 90 cm (3 feet) in height, or be as little as 10 cm (4 inches).

Celmisia
Celmisia rutlandii by Brewbooks.

They are also known by the more common names of Mountain Daisy, New Zealand Aster, or Mountain Aster.

celmisia semicordata
Celmisia semicordata (Mountain Daisy) by PermaCultured.

Commonly Grown Celmisia Species Photographs and Plant Identification

Celmisia incana

Celmisia incana
Celmisia incana (White Mountain Daisy), photograph by Brewbooks; CC.

Celmisia spectabilis

Celmisia spectabilis
Celmisia spectabilis (Common Mountain Daisy), photograph by Dirk Pons; CC.

Celmisia glandulosa

Celmisia glandulosa
Celmisia glandulosa (Artwork of a Bog Mountain Daisy), picture by Biodiversity Heritage Library; CC.

Celmisia Growing and Care Guide

Common Names: Mountain Daisy, New Zealand Daisy, New Zealand Aster.
Life Cycle: Hardy perennial., Half hardy perennial.
Height: 4 to 36 inches (10 to 90 cm).
Family: Asteraceae.
Native: Australasia.

Growing Region: Zones 5 to 10.
Flowers: Early and Middle of summer.
Flower Details: White rays, Yellow discs. Daisy-like ray and disc florets.
Foliage: Lance-shaped. Linear-oblong. Sword-shaped. Green, grey. Silver hairs.

Sow Outside: No
Sow Inside: It is usual to start Celmisia from cuttings or divided plants.
Seeds: surface. Seed must be fresh. Germinate in the light at 60 to 65°F (15 to 18°C). Space from 4 to 24 inches (10 cm to 60 cm) for standalone plants, or 48 to 72 inches (120 to 180 cm) apart for spreading species. Transplant seedlings once roots are well established into the garden following the last frost.

Requirements: Full sunlight or light shade. Good drainage; use stone chippings to improve drainage. Acidic soil, peaty soil.
Water (not from above) during dry spells to prevent soil from drying out. Protect from rain. Propagate: by dividing or taking cuttings at the beginning of summer.

How to Grow Celmisia

When planning to grow Celmisia plants it is best to start them off indoors.

The seeds of mountain daisies should be as fresh as possible, as they are short lived.

Celmisia seeds should be sown on the surface at a temperature of 15 degrees celsius (59°F) in the light. They should take anything from a month to six months to germinate.

The seedlings should be grown until roots are fully established. Then planted out in the middle of spring.

The spacing dependent upon the species size: small (15 cm; 6 inches); medium (45 cm; 18 inches); spreading (1.5 m; 5 feet).

Celmisia plants like to grow in peaty acidic soils. The soil should have good drainage. Locate plants in partially shaded to sunny areas of the garden.

Caring for Celmisia Species

Celmisia should be protected from rain and snow, but be well watered. Water from below in the summer to prevent soil drying out.

If you require more Celmisia plants, then you can get more through taking cuttings or dividing mountain daisy plants at the beginning of summer.

I hope that you found this guide on how to grow grow Celmisia plants in your garden. You may also enjoy my gardening guides on how to grow Iris, Chard, and Aster plants.