Bellium minutum aka Little Mary

Bellium minutum is in the daisy family, Asteraceae. Gardeners may know it as miniature mat daisy. It grows wild in Sicily and the eastern Aegean islands. Its range also takes in northwestern Türkiye and Cyprus. Kew lists its climate range as subtropical. The RHS says it is not native to Britain or Ireland. Its home range gives some context for garden use. But that range does not tell us its garden hardiness.

The Chicago Botanic Garden calls it a tiny, creeping plant. It lists its use as groundcover and in rock gardens. Its low, creeping form is a key garden trait. The records give no measured height or spread. So they give no firm guide to spacing by full-grown width. They give few details of leaves, stems, or roots. The common name points to the plant's small size. It does not give an exact size.

Chicago lists white flowers from May through August. It splits this span into May–June and July–August. These dates serve as a guide for garden bloom. They do not set bloom times for all climates. The account gives no flower size or details of flower parts. It gives no details of fruit or seed, either. Nor does it name the plant's pollinators. White bloom and creeping growth are its main known show traits here.

Chicago lists full sun and partial shade for growing it. It calls for moist soil, not a dry site. It gives no soil texture or pH range. It lists USDA hardiness zones 5–9, but no UK hardiness rating. Its use in rock gardens does not change its stated need for moist soil. The evidence does not show whether it can cope with drought. Nor does it say when to water. It gives no guide to feeding or pruning. It does not say how to grow new plants.

The sources do not agree on its life span. Kew calls it an annual, a plant that lives one year. Chicago groups it with perennials, plants that live for more years. But Chicago notes that other references call it an annual. These records thus leave doubt about how long it lasts in gardens. None says whether climate explains the split. The evidence names no pests or diseases. It gives no findings on food use, medical use, or toxicity. These gaps do not mean the plant is edible or safe.