Re: interesting plants

Olearia. Daisy bushes. The ones from New Zealand and nearby islands are white-flowered, and the ones from Tasmania are often mauve or pink. Evergreen. Good in windy coastal areas, as most come from islands.

I don't visit California often, so am basing my opinion of neglect on the list of plants in the encyclopaedia section of the Sunset Western Garden Book. My very old edition lists only Olearia x haastii, a rather boring plant. The newer edition lists none. I don't know at what point the genus was dropped from the book, but this suggests to me that olearias are not grown much in California.

I have grown Olearia macrodonta for many years, a very hardy holly-leaved shrub or small tree. I have a few others (lineata, x scillonensis, x zenorensis) that I have bought from Cistus Design Nursery in the past few years. There are others I plan to try, including angustifolia from Stewart Island, saw-toothed foliage with white tomentum beneath, and scented large white flowers with purple centres.

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Diane Whitehead Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
maritime zone 8
cool mediterranean climate (dry summer, rainy winter - 68 cm annually)
sandy soil

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