Everlastings

Everlastings are a native Australian Daisy, also known as a Paper Daisy, with attractive flowers and foliage. They are hardy plant and provide a good, fast ground cover. The flowers are long-lasting and dry well. They grow naturally in the south of Western Australia extending into South Australia. I love to see verge gardens densely planted with Everlastings, brightening up the streetscape.

They are adaptable and spring up whenever conditions are right, such as during warm, sunny weeks anytime of the year. They prefer full sun to dappled shade and grow well in open meadows. Grown in full shade they tend to be long and spindly. They thrive in well-drained sandy soils and tend to be smaller when grown in heavy, clay soils. Seedlings can be damaged by frosts and they face a number a predators including kangaroos, rabbits, slugs, snails and aphids.

Seeds germinate in seven to twenty one days and can be sown in autumn directly on the soil surface or lightly buried. There is almost 100% germination rate. Seeds can also be grown in trays to approximately 2 cm high (four to five weeks) then planted out. Seeds are collected from mature flower heads and prepared for planting by placing in a paper bag and keeping in a warm environment. They will also grow from cuttings.

They generally flower from August to November in the wild but, with sufficient water and warmth, will flower at other times. They flower ten to twelve weeks after germination and the flowers last a good two weeks. The flowering period lasts up to ten weeks. They respond well to any general fertiliser and regular watering. You can cut the plants back and they will flower again.