ASTERISCUS maritimus

Generous and simple small bush, perennial and evergreen, with rapid growth and a thick cushion-like habit, native to the Mediterranean basin. At its maximum development, it can grow 30 cm tall and a little larger. Already branched and semi-woody at the base, it has various stems with an almost horizontal course which, by branching further and orientating in every direction, allow the plant to take on a compact, regular and rounded appearance. The leaves, small, fleshy and oblong-spatulate shaped, with smooth margins and obtuse, slightly tomentose apex, are dark green. Between spring and the beginning of summer, the mantle of the foliage is adorned in profusion of delightful flowers similar to daisies with golden petals: the seeds, equipped with pappus, can be conveyed at a distance and allow easy spread of the plant.

It prefers sunny or partially shady locations and soils of any nature, but possibly poor, sandy, dry and well drained. It bears both the salinity of the sea winds in coastal locations and prolonged periods of drought. It tolerates minimum winter temperatures only slightly below zero, therefore where the cold can be intense and lasting, give it a sheltered position or a rich mulch with leaves and straw or a shelter in a cool and bright environment in winter. It does not require special interventions: in spring, we can resort to the elimination of dry, old, broken or cluttered parts and with the occasion slightly trim the various stems to allow a more compact growth and a more generous subsequent flowering. Suitable for cultivation in medium-sized pots and containers on terraces and balconies; in the open ground in our garden it is perfect to enrich areas of our rock, to create, by arranging more specimens in sequence, unusual colored borders or to upholster large flower beds, even terraced ones.