Brachyglottis (Dunedin Group) 'Sunshine'

Common name: Shrubby Ragwort 'Sunshine' / Senecio 'Sunshine'

Description: Brachyglottis (Dunedin Group) 'Sunshine' is a thoroughly reliable and highly versatile evergreen shrub that has been a mainstay of the British garden for many decades, valued above all for its outstanding silver-grey foliage that provides a luminous, year-round contribution to the border of considerable and enduring worth. The broadly oval leaves are a soft, woolly silver-white when they first emerge, maturing to a grey-green above whilst retaining their distinctive bright white-felted undersides, creating a beautiful two-toned effect that catches and reflects light with great effectiveness, particularly on breezy days when the leaves are turned by the wind to reveal their pale reverses. In midsummer, the silver mounds are topped with cheerful, bright yellow, daisy-like flowers carried in loose, branching clusters that provide a warm and sunny seasonal accent, though many gardeners choose to remove the flower buds before they open in order to maintain the pristine silver foliage effect and encourage a more compact, bushy habit. 'Sunshine' is exceptionally tolerant of coastal exposure, salt-laden winds, and dry, poor soils, making it one of the most valuable and practical shrubs available for difficult seaside and exposed garden situations where its tough, resilient constitution and attractive appearance make it practically without equal. It associates superbly with Mediterranean-style plantings, gravel and dry gardens, and as a foliage contrast plant alongside purple, blue, and deep red flowering subjects where its silver-grey colouring provides an elegant and harmonious foil of broad appeal.

Other benefits: outstanding silver-grey evergreen foliage of year-round luminous quality; exceptional coastal and exposed site tolerance; bright yellow summer daisy flowers; extremely drought tolerant once established; low maintenance; excellent as a foil to darker-flowered and purple-leaved plants; suitable for gravel and Mediterranean-style garden schemes

Wildlife attraction: bees, hoverflies, butterflies, and other summer pollinators

Height & spread (approx.) at 10 years: 1.2m x 1.5m

Position: full sun essential; thrives in hot, dry, exposed positions including coastal gardens with direct salt wind exposure; a south- or west-facing aspect gives best results

Soil pH: adaptable; performs well in neutral to slightly alkaline soils; pH 6.0–7.5; excellent drainage is important; thrives in poor, sandy, or stony soils where richer conditions can lead to lax, untidy growth

Moisture: low watering requirements once established; highly drought tolerant; requires well-drained to dry soil; avoid moisture retention around the roots, particularly in winter; excess moisture is the greatest risk to this plant in UK conditions

Winter hardiness: hardy to approximately -10°C to -15°C in a well-drained position; thoroughly reliable throughout most of the UK including in coastal and exposed situations; may sustain some foliage damage in the most prolonged and severe hard winters but will regenerate reliably