Anthemis ‘Susanna Mitchell’

Description

Anthemis ‘Susanna Mitchell’

Anthemis ‘Susanna Mitchell’ is a lovely English hybrid perennial marguerite, between A. cupaniana and A. tinctoria, with creamy coloured single daisies with primrose yellow centres over a mass of silvery ferny foliage. Its cupaniana parentage gives it the lovely weed smothering mound of silvery filigree foliage and its ability to flower from as early as April, whilst A.tinctoria gives it the subtle creamy yellow hue and a bit more height (up to 50cm). A perfect plant for early insects with its rich nectar source, it enjoys a sunny spot in well drained, even a bit dry soils. It was found as a chance hybrid in the mid 1980’s in the garden of Susana Mitchell and introduced in the 1990’s by Blooms. Susanna planted Anthemis tinctoria, a plant that had been handed down in the family from her great Grandmother, next to Anthemis cupaniana. A chance seedling grew up and was admired, prompting her to deliberately make the cross subsequent times. Her daughter Susie Mitchell still grows the same Anthemis tinctoria and uses her Mother’s lovely cross as her signature in all the gardens she creates and tends as Cotswold Garden Creations.

Anthemis tinctoria is the Ox-eye Chamomile, a native of Europe including Britain.

Anthemis are archetypal daisies. They produce dense cushions of small feathery foliage and, in A. tinctoria, 2ft tall branching stems that throw a long succession of sunshine yellow daisies. The flowers of Anthemis cupaniana are white, produced singly straight from the mounding stems. The yellow flowers of Anthemis tinctoria can be used to produce a yellow die (All plants named tinctoria are traditional dye plants).

Give them a sunny spot in a soil that isn’t too wet and they are undemanding and rewarding plants. The main thing to watch is that they do not sprawl over less robust neighbours. Either provide some support or give them their space to flop with gay abandon. Trim after flowering for further blooms and tidy A.tinctoria to the ground at the end of the season. Cut A.cupaniana less, but don’t be shy with the shears in spring if the clump is beginning to take liberties.

Anthemis is the Greek name for the herb, Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile)