<em>Anthemis</em>: planting and care

Description and botany

Anthemis belong to family Asteraceae. Genus Anthemis now comprises nearly two hundred species of annuals and perennials native to Mediterranean Basin and Asia Minor, with a range extending as far as southern Scandinavia. Dyer’s cota, for example, has naturalized in Great Britain and United States. They flower generously in late spring and summer. It seems necessary to give some nomenclature details to clarify plants covered in this article: species offered under this genus name are very hardy such as Anthemis tinctoria, also called Chamomile of dyers, resistant to -30 °C and are deciduous or evergreen. Species native to Canary Islands and Madeira, not very hardy and sold as undershrub annuals, now belong to genus Argyranthemum even though they continue to be called Anthémis or tree daisy in common parlance. They have also borne names such as Chrysanthemum frutescens and Pyrethrum frutescens. True Anthemis are commonly known by names such as “Chamomile of dyers” (A. tinctoria) or “false chamomile”, bearing in mind that true chamomile consumed as herbal tea is now included in genus Chamaemelum.

Anthemis are spreading perennials with somewhat disorderly ramified stems that, in some species, adopt a compact cushion habit. Foliage is evergreen or deciduous. Aromatic foliage, with strong odour considered unpleasant in Anthemis cotula, is alternate, single but finely dissected (pinnatisect), sometimes tomentose which gives a silvery colour and better drought resistance.

Anthemis tinctoria – botanical illustration

St John’s anthémis (A. sancti-johannis) thus forms a bushy tuft with a loose habit and feathery dark green foliage tinged with grey. Anthemis cupaniana has felted, more or less grey foliage reminiscent of Artemisia and forms large compact cushions reaching 60 cm in diameter and 20–30 cm in height.

Flowering of Anthemis is an inflorescence in the form of a head of medium size (2 to 4 cm in A. tinctoria) attached to the stem by a long peduncle, usually white, cream, yellow or even orange (A. sancti-johannis), with a central disc often large and contrasted as in Anthemis ‘Moonlight’. Ligulate ray florets, evoking petals ending with three small teeth, are female flowers that attract pollinating insects and serve as landing platforms. Tubular flowers in centre of head are hermaphrodite and present 1 pistil and 5 stamens. They transform after pollination by insects into achene without egret, 2 to 4 mm long.

Anthemis flowers, especially in hybrids, are well suited to making bouquets. They are very nectariferous and attract both bees and butterflies.

Dyer’s cota, also called Cota of dyers, was used to produce yellow dye. Present at low altitude between 0 and 1600 m from France to Turkey, as well as in Caucasus and Iran, it has today widely naturalized in North America.

Name Anthemis comes from Greek anthemon meaning “blooming”.

Main varieties of Anthemis

Varieties for borders

Compact varieties

Anthemis tinctoria Sauce Hollandaise - Marguerite

Beautiful perennial chamomile, very floriferous, bushy, with solitary very pale yellow flowers turning to cream-white with yellow centre.

• Flowering time July to October
• Height at maturity 50 cm

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Anthemis tinctoria E.C. Buxton - Marguerite

This False Chamomile or Dyer's Chamomile is a horticultural form with frilly green foliage, finely divided, from which a multitude of small soft-yellow daisies emerge for four months. Very hardy, easy to grow, ideal for rockeries or sunny banks.

• Flowering time July to September
• Height at maturity 60 cm

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Anthemis tinctoria Wargrave Variety - Marguerite

This large deciduous herbaceous perennial, slightly more vigorous than E.C. Buxton, has aromatic frilly green foliage, finely divided and covered with a multitude of small daisies in pale-yellow shades. Very hardy, easy to grow, ideal for rockeries or sunny banks.

• Flowering time July to September
• Height at maturity 70 cm

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Anthemis tinctoria Kelwayi - Marguerite

Hardy undershrub that displays grey-green fennel-like foliage, from which a multitude of bright small daisies emerge, vivid yellow with darker-yellow centres. Very hardy, easy to grow in well-drained soil, and neat in appearance, this perennial is ideal for rockeries or banks.

• Flowering time June to October
• Height at maturity 70 cm

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Anthemis sancti-johannis

St John's Anthemis, originating from Bulgaria, is one of the hardiest in the genus. Abundant orange-yellow heads light up the dark grey-green clump, which has a very natural loose habit. Perfect for filling gaps in a sunny border or rockery on well-drained, poor soil, even if occasionally dry.

• Flowering time August to October
• Height at maturity 50 cm

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Anthemis carpatica Karpatenschnee - Marguerite

This chamomile forms a mat-forming cushion with finely cut green-and-silver foliage, which in spring and summer is adorned with an abundance of small white daisies with yellow centres. From a rare species, it is superb in borders, in pots or in rockeries. Easy to grow in poor, rather dry soil.

• Flowering time June to September
• Height at maturity 15 cm

See the product sheet

 

Planting

Where to plant Anthemis?

Make use of a slope or rockery receiving more than 6 hours’ sunlight a day, in conditions where soil drains well to establish Anthemis. Slightly acidic, neutral or calcareous soil suits Anthemis perfectly. Sun-loving to excess, anthemis are particularly averse to excess winter moisture which shortens their lifespan. Their cold hardiness increases when soil is dry. In shade, anthemis seldom survive more than two years.

When to plant?

Plant preferably in September or in March–April.

How to plant?

This plant is very easy for beginners even on gravelly, poor and dry soil.

• Plunge bucket into bucket of water to soak it.
• Dig a hole three times wider than rootball and loosen soil around with tines of garden fork.
• Add a few handfuls of sand and gravel to ensure good drainage around roots. In heavy soil, choose planting on a raised mound or within a rockery.
• Add half a spadeful of potting compost or well-rotted compost if soil is very poor. Anthemis tinctoria appreciates good garden soil for prolonged flowering but loses vigour after 2 years so renewal of plant is preferable as with snapdragons or pinks.
• Place plant in planting hole.
• Replace soil and firm down lightly.
• Water well and deeply.

Clump of Anthemis carpatica ‘Karpatenschnee’ in rockery

Caring for Anthemis

• Don’t hesitate to pinch out stem tips when they reach 20 cm in height to encourage bushier growth of the plant.
• Water regularly during first year to encourage good establishment of the young plant.
• Then simply give a shear cut at about 20 cm above soil at end of flowering. Do not wait beyond early September so the clump can heal and re-establish before season end. You may sometimes see a light flowering in autumn.
• Leave a few stems to set seed to ensure plant’s progeny.
• Lightly fork soil around to weed and add a spadeful of compost in spring.
• Anthemis plants are sometimes attacked by aphids. Simply crush a few affected stems and leave the rest for hoverflies and ladybirds, which will feast on them.

Propagation

Simplest propagation method is to divide clump in spring or autumn for Anthemis cupaniana or to take stem cuttings during summer months, particularly for Anthemis tinctoria.

Propagation by cuttings

Prepare a deep pot by filling it with potting compost mixed with sand.

• Take 10 cm-long stem-tip cuttings.
• Remove leaves located near base of cutting.
• Insert these to two-thirds of their length, taking care they do not touch each other.
• Firm soil gently all around to remove air pockets and ensure good contact between potting compost and cutting.
• Place them under cover in a bright spot.
• In autumn, separate rooted cuttings and plant them into buckets which you keep under cold frame until spring.
• Plant your plants in ground in spring.

Clump division

Clear soil around roots with a hand hoe then drive a sharp spade into centre of clump to split into divisions.

Uses and companion plants

With their country charm and modest requirements, don’t hesitate to use Anthemis to quickly flower poor ground, especially after passage of construction machinery. They are pioneer plants that establish easily in open areas, on fallow land or within dry meadows, associated with drought-tolerant plants such as medicinal sages, borage, poppies, cornflowers, snapdragons, wallflowers… It can be very useful for starting a brand-new garden. Anthemis fits equally well in informal country borders as in more formal beds, rockeries or as an edging plant, and even in a cutting garden.

An idea for a planting combination in a sunny border: Anthemis tinctoria ‘Sauce Hollandaise’, Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’, Rosa ‘The Pilgrim’ and Nepeta faassenii ‘Six Hills Giant’

Their foliage pairs well with grey-leaved plants such as Artemisia, santolina, Nepeta or lavender, as well as with old-fashioned roses.

To create a vibrant scene, pair the golden yellow of dye chamomile ‘E.C Buxton’, capable of forming spectacular rounded clumps very quickly, or the orange of Anthemis sancti-jovi, with blue flowers such as perennial flax, chicory, bugloss, common borage.

Cretan chamomile ‘Karpatenschnee‘ forms a compact, very floriferous groundcover, ideal in a rockery filled with small cushions of silenes, armerias, saxifrages, Artemisia ‘Boughton Silver’, thymes, but also as an edging or in a container combined with bulbs. This species does not like calcareous soil unlike Anthemis cupaniana. The latter, which has delicately scented, soft-to-the-touch foliage, can adorn the steps of a stone stairway, a rustic planter or the slopes of a rocky bank.

→ Discover other ideas for pairing Anthemis in our advice sheet