PlantFiles: Marguerite Daisy, Summer Daisy, Cobbity Daisy, Paris Daisy
Argyranthemum frutescens 'Ruby Slippers'

We have these growing next to sweet gum trees. The color adds 'punch' to the surroundings and the plant is quite tolerant of frost and drought.

The ruby slippers planted about a year ago is now in the form of a small bush (2' by 2') and is prolific with blooms. It has never been pruned and yet, it still looks attractive and healthy. My only qualm is that it requires regular watering.

~~~Ruby Slippers ~~~


This is a very hardy plant. I live in Silicon Valley & planted it in full sun.

It does wonderful. But...
PLEASE use caution when planting. Measure presisely. Give it extra room {from what the planting instructions say}.

The color is lovely. It has a bright pick & a pale pink color as well.

When the flowers expire, cut the dried flowers. This will look better and encourage new growth.

These plants grow very fast. Yesterday I had to transplant a small plant that turned into a very large bush.

Water a lot; especially in the summer.


I trim the plant every month {it gets top heavy if you don't trim it}.


Give it plant food every 2 months.

Also, I spray this & my other plants with weak tea. Please don't throw the tea bag away. Take the paper tag off of the bag & place the tea bag around your plant/s. Cover with dirt & water.


Starbucks saves their coffee grounds for gardners. I put mine around Azayla's and other acid loving plants.


If you have a snail/slug problem the coffee grounds will solve that as well.


The dusty miller, is the perfect compliment with the ruby slipper.


But... again...remember spacing. The dusty miller's grow big too.


Trim them back every week, as this promotes new growth and trains the plant to be a ground cover.


I have tried several times to make new plants from the cuttings, of the dusty millers... no luck.


Rating these plants for ease of growth I would give them a 9.

Got wider than I expected but takes pruning well. Grows quickly, flowers for a long time. Deadheading creates a new flush of blooms quickly. so I expect that like osteospermums, this plant is bred to exhaust itself within a few years. Blooms fade to a lighter pink which gives a pleasant two-color effect to the plant.

I have it in a bed that gets mostly sun altho shielded from intense western summer exposure by other plants around it. The bed is compost atop clay base and mulched, so I only water twice a month in summer unless the rare heat spell happens (we're in Northern CA, San Francisco Bay Area). These plants were formerly classified as chrysanthemums and if you can grow 'mums' then argyranthemums take the same care and climate.

Requires a great deal of deadheading to continue blooming. Also must be watered a great deal if in warmer zones. Plant tag suggests planting in full sun, however it is currently planted in a partial sun area of my garden and does very well.