Argyranthemum

As with the pelargoniums, the argyranthemums are used in pots around the nursery to add much colour  from late spring through to the first frosts. 'Jamaica Primrose' seems particularly floriferous and long-lasting, with regular dead-heading helping this. They do make a woody base, so taking some cuttings in late autumn, to overwinter and provide new plants the following year.

As with all 'daisy-like' flowers, the disc-flowers in the centre of the flowerhead produce nectar and pollen that are attractive to insects. The large flowers and long season of plants of this genus magnify the value of their flowers, especially for bumblebees, honeybees and hoverflies. The leaves are relatively palatable, and so are eaten by a number of generalist moth caterpillars. The wild-type species-forms are of conservation value as they originate from geographically small areas of the world, the Canary Islands and Madeira. Many species are known in the wild only from tiny parts of those islands.