Anthemis carpatica Karpatenschnee - Marguerite

Anthemis carpatica 'Karpatenschnee', also known as Carpathian Chamomile or Mountain Anthemis, forms a small spreading cushion with finely cut, green and silver foliage that is adorned in spring and summer with an abundance of small white daisies with yellow centres. Derived from a rare species, it is fantastic in borders, pots, or rockeries. Easy to grow in poor, rather dry soil.

Anthemis carpatica belongs to the Asteraceae family. It is native to the mountains of central Europe. It is considered by some botanists as a subspecies of Anthemis cretica. 'Karpatenschnee' is a selected cultivar for its silver foliage and floribundity. This deciduous perennial plant, with its spreading growth habit, forms a small cushion 30cm (12in) tall when in flower, 15cm (6in) for the foliage, with a spread of 30 to 40cm (12 to 16in). The particularly long flowering period takes place from May to August. The plant is covered with a multitude of small white heads with a bright yellow central disc. The finely divided, deciduous foliage is grey on the upper side and green on the underside, both refined and bright. The foliage is also aromatic.

Anthemis are sun-loving plants par excellence and they particularly dislike excess moisture in winter. Plant them in well-drained, slightly acidic, neutral, or slightly alkaline soil. These plants are not very demanding in terms of soil quality. However, in heavy soil, their lifespan is shorter than in poor and dry soil. Their cold resistance is greater when the soil is dry. Trim the clumps slightly after flowering to promote the growth of new shoots and encourage a rebloom in autumn, which better prepares the plants to withstand a rainy winter. This operation also aids the formation of a beautiful rosette of leaves in winter and extends the life of the plant.

'Karpatenschnee' will find its place in containers, rockeries, and borders, and will form a ground cover alongside other small cushion-forming plants such as silenes, armerias, saxifrages, 'Boughton Silver' wormwood, and thymes.