Corethrogyne filaginifolia 'Silver Carpet'

Frankly, we’ve not had a whole lot of experience with this native California beach-growing aster relation, but its silvery purple flowers with orange-gold centers pull you in, and the stunning Easter bunny foliage sticks you there. Good drainage site or container recommended. Reaches 1' in height and spreads to 6-8' across. Should be great, we know that much, as a coastal planting. USDA zone 8b.

Perennial subshrub with densely tomentose, silver-white foliage and a profusion of lavender flowers from late spring well into summer. This cultivar can spread widely and climb over nearby plants under ideal conditions, so occasional pruning is recommended. Best used in coastal gardens as plants suffer where summers are hot. Full sun and well-drained soils with moderate water. Hardy to 20 °F. Santa Barbara Botanic Garden selection from the Big Sur coastline.

The genus Lessingia, native to Western North America, is a member of the Asteraceae, or Daisy Family. They are generally low-growing, and may be annuals or perennials depending on the species. The flower color for the genus is either yellow or else in the white-pink-purple range. Some are very localized and rare, such as the San Francisco Lessingia (L. germanorum), while others are more widespread. One of the latter is Lessingia filaginifolia, sometimes called California-Aster. Lessingia filaginifolia can be found in nature from southwestern Oregon all the way down through California to northern Baja California. It is one of the perennial species, with a clumping habit and speading stems. In most forms the stems and leaves have an attractive wooly white coating, and the flowers are in the purple-lavender-pink range, or sometimes white. Our plant at the Ruth Bancroft Garden is the cultivar Lessingia filaginifolia ‘Silver Carpet’, a selection from coastal bluffs in Monterey County, south of San Francisco. It stays very low, growing only a few inches high, but spreads laterally to form a clump up to 4 or 5 feet across (1.2 to 1.5 m). The leaves are up to a little over an inch long (3 cm), and when flattened they are spoon-shaped, but they are normally folded like a taco so that the edges are close together. Rather than being smooth, the margins have small blunt teeth, giving a serrated appearance. Lessingia filaginifolia ‘Silver Carpet’ has a long flowering period during the summer and into the fall, with abundant lavender-pink daisy-type flowers with yellow centers. The flower diameter is ⅞ inch to 1 inch (2.2 to 2.5 cm). This drought-tolerant plant thrives in full sun even in hotter inland conditions, where occasional watering helps to keep it looking good, and it tolerates wind and even some salt spray in coastal areas. It will grow in both sandy and clay soils, and is a fine choice for trailing over rocks or down a slope.

A resilient & rugged California native groundcover that attracts butterflies from far & wide! Lessingia filaginifolia (A.K.A. Corethrogyne filaginifolia, or Aster filaginifolia, or Aplopappus haenkei – this plant has a huge number of names floating around) has violet purple flowers in late Spring & forms a soft, dense silver mat up to 4’ wide. It’s a low growing 1-4” high, great for weed smothering. Thrives in clay or sand & takes a lot of drought, as well as salt spray. If kept Summer dry, expect the plant to go deciduous, as many of our native plants do.