Bellium: Miniature Daisy
Add Bellium to a rockery or between pavers or use as a bee-attracting addition to any perennial garden.
Plant care & info
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Bellium
Common Name: Miniature Daisy Plant
Southern Europe, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Malta and Sicily.
Tolerates full sun to part shade. Prefers a sunnier, drier position than English Daisies (Bellis) and thrives in well-drained soil, but can adapt to other soil types. Perennial but only evergreen in the mildest winters in the Pacific Northwest.
Regular water is needed during the growing season. Would also benefit from the addition of pumice during planting time. A light shearing of spent flowers when done blooming will also improve the appearance of the ground cover.
Slugs may damage Bellium, boggy soil or standing water will kill it. If using Bellium as a path or lawn substitute, special soil preparation is required to limit compaction.
Bellium is a genus of 3 species of annual and perennial, trailing or mounding daisies native to southern Europe. The botanical name was intended to indicate their close similarity to Bellis (English Daisy), though in fine details of floral structure they are quite distinct. They are delightful miniature plants with very small, crowded, spatula shaped leaves and tiny profuse flower heads.
The kind most commonly found in Pacific Northwest gardens are perennial ground covers. These ground covers tend to have light green mat-forming foliage and small flowers with white petals and yellow centers rising above delicate stems.
The flowers are extraordinarily cheerful and attract bees. Even cuter, the backs of the petals are dark pink so when they close at night or are newly formed they have an entirely different look. Bellium can tolerate varying amounts of foot traffic.
They look great in rockery gardens, perennial gardens and cottage gardens, as well as wildlife and fairy gardens. If possible, Bellium should be grown at the front of the border, between pavers or along pathways to best admire the adorable flowers and cheery foliage.
Explore More Miniature Daisy
Bellium Minutum
Hardy to Zone 7, Bellium minutum is a perennial ground cover that forms a mat of green foliage with tons of white daisies blooming all summer long. The bloom time is from April through August. The plant height is 2-4 inches and the width is 12-16 inches. The growth rate is moderate, as is the amount of foot traffic that the ground cover can tolerate. Bellium minutum is great for containers, paths, and edging for all types of garden styles.
