Brachyscome iberidifolia aka Swan River Daisy

Brachyscome iberidifolia is called Swan River daisy. It is an annual in the daisy family, Asteraceae. Kew gives its native range as western and central Australia. Gardeners grow it for its flowers and fine leaves. It suits summer beds, small borders, and pots.

Plants grow about 0.3–1.6 feet [0.1–0.5 metres] tall and wide. They branch and spread, but some stems grow upright. The stems can also grow loose and floppy. Fine cuts in the mid-green leaves give them a light look. Pinching the growing tips helps young plants branch. It also helps them form a more even shape. Plants reach their full size within one year.

The daisy flowers come in blue, violet, white, and pink-purple. Their centres can be yellow, yellow-green, or close to black. Some centres turn bronze-brown as the blooms age. The flowers also have scent. Plants bloom through summer and into early autumn. Missouri Botanical Garden gives a longer season: May until frost. How long the flowers last depends on local growing conditions. Remove old flowers to help the show last into autumn. Trim off spent blooms after the first flush in early summer. This helps the plant form more blooms.

Give this plant full sun and soil that drains well. It grows in sand, loam, chalk, or clay that drains well. Acid, neutral, and alkaline soils can all suit it. It can grow even in poor, sandy ground. Moist soil that drains well meets its needs. It can also cope with drought. It grows at the coast, though the RHS advises a sheltered site. Keep young plants warm and free from frost. Give them time to get used to life outdoors. Do this before planting them in early summer. The RHS rates it H3 for mild UK areas. Missouri Botanical Garden lists USDA zones 2–11 for this annual. This wide range does not mean it survives cold winters.

Use Swan River daisy along edges or in raised beds. It suits rock gardens, gravel gardens, and sites near the coast. Pots and window boxes give its loose stems room to spread. It fits cottage gardens and mixes of annual flowers. Grow more plants from softwood cuttings, one way to raise them. Both garden sources say serious pests and diseases rarely cause trouble. Slugs and snails may still need care.