Kalimeris mongolica 'Antonia'

About this cultivar:

Kalimeris mongolica 'Antonia' produces mauve michaelmas daisy or chrysanthemum-like flowers from July. Grows a bit bigger than Asters but more compact than the Kalimeris mongolica species. That’s quite a dry description, but it is a fantastic plant!

• Position: Full sun, partial shade
• Soil: Almost any soil, grows well in Ballyrobert
• Flowers: June, July, August, September
• Other features: Cut Flowers or Dried Flowers, Bees and Butterflies
• Hardiness: Fully hardy - grows well in Ballyrobert
• Habit: Clump forming, bushy
• Foliage: Deciduous
• Height: 45 - 75 cm (1.5 - 2.5 ft)
• Spread: 30 - 45 cm (1 - 1.5 ft)
• Time to full growth: 2 to 5 years
• Plant type: Herbaceous Perennial
• Colour: Green, blue, purple
• Goes well with: Aster, Helianthus

About this genus:

Kalimeris is a small genus with eight species from the sunflower/daisy family (Asteraceae). It was first described in 1825 by the French botanist Alexandre Henri Gabriel de Cassini (1781-1832). This genus occurs mainly in eastern Asia (China, Korea and Japan), but is also naturalised on Hawaii (I'd quite like to settle there too).

Usually herbaceous perennials, the blue-green leaves vary per species and are smooth textured. They can be long and narrow, round with large teeth, or lobed. The flower heads are solitary or in leafy flat-topped inflorescences. The flowers can be white, pink or purple with a yellow centre.

Kalimeris prefer sun or part shade, and grow in most places that are not too wet - in fact they are quite drought tolerant. Their blooms arrive in late summer and stick around into autumn. As they age they spread to form an attractive colony. Once they have spread out for a few years, you can easily divide them and have plenty to share with your friends.

Kalimeris looks great as a specimen, in a mass, or planted among other perennials - try it with other daisies such as Aster and Helianthus. Gardeners can also cut Kalimeris flowers for indoor arrangements or for drying.