Craspedia: billy button cultivation, care & propagation

he low-maintenance Craspedia not only brightens gardens and balconies, it is also beautiful as a dried or cut flower.

Yellow flower globes on long bare stalks — billy buttons (Craspedia) may not be native to the UK, but they are versatile. In the right location, you’ll be able to enjoy them in your garden all summer long. Keep reading to find out more about planting Craspedia and drying its flowers.

Craspedia: origin and characteristics

The genus Craspedia belongs to the aster family, known as Asteraceae, and comprises about 23 species. These charming perennials originate in Australia and New Zealand, where they grow from sea level to the Alps. Due to their growth habit, they are known by the names drumstick flowers, billy buttons and woollyheads.

Craspedia plants have elongated narrow leaves that form rosettes. The flower stalks emerge from these rosettes and grow to about 30cm tall, depending on the species. The spherical flowerheads that top the stalks consist of many closely-spaced yellow flowers. Craspedia produce these ball-like flowers from June through October and attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies. Although these summer bloomers are not hardy in the UK, neither are they susceptible to diseases and pests.

Tip: some of the most well-known Craspedia species include Craspedia globosa, Craspedia lanata and Craspedia variabilis.

Are Craspedia perennial? Given the right conditions, Craspedia are perennial plants. However, in the UK, they are grown as annual ornamentals, because most are not hardy at temperatures below freezing.

Where and how to plant Craspedia

Billy buttons prefer a warm and sunny to semi-shady location. The soil should be well-drained, as billy buttons do not tolerate waterlogging. If the soil in your garden is heavy, mix in 30% sand. If it is already quite sandy, consider adding some high-quality compost to improve the soil. Our Plantura Organic Flower Compost is pre-fertilised and contains crushed expanded clay, which provides a loose structure and creates suitable soil conditions. Our soil is also excellent for planting Craspedia in pots — just ensure the pot has drainage holes and a drainage layer of gravel or chippings at the bottom.

Organic Flower Compost, 40L

(5/5)

• Perfect for all flowering plants in garden beds & pots
• For beautiful blossoms & healthy plant growth
• Peat-free & organic soil: CO₂-saving composition

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Sowing and planting

You can start Craspedia from seeds or purchase pre-cultivated plants from a nursery. When growing your own billy buttons from seeds, start the seeds indoors in March. A spot on a windowsill with temperatures of 20°C is ideal for this. The seeds need light to germinate, so do not cover them with soil. Instead, just lightly press them into the soil’s surface. We recommend using a low-nutrient sowing soil for starting billy buttons. Our Plantura Organic Herb & Seedling Compost is ideal as it is low in nutrients which promotes healthy root development. Our compost also contains perlite to prevent soil compaction and root rot. Billy buttons germinate after 14 to 20 days. After the first true leaves appear, prick out the Craspedia seedlings and pot them on. Billy button plants prefer to be planted in looser soils and in small groups of three to five, making them suitable for beds and open spaces. Maintaining a planting distance of 30cm, plant the billy buttons outdoors in a pot or directly in a flower bed after the last chance of frost in May. For billy buttons in pots, ensure they have about 15cm spacing from the edge of the container.

Companion plants

Craspedia tolerate dry soils and can be planted next to Mediterranean herbs or other drought-tolerant summer flowers. Some such Mediterranean herbs include thyme (Thymus), rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) and sage (Salvia officinalis). As for drought-tolerant flowers, ox-eye daisies, twinspur (Diascia), geraniums (Pelargonium) and bacopa (Sutera cordata) are great companion plants and make for colourful arrangements. With that in mind, shade- and humidity-loving plants do not make good companion plants, as their needs conflict with those of Craspedia plants.

Craspedia care

Given the right location and soil, billy buttons are very low-maintenance plants. Just keep in mind that waterlogging quickly leads to root rot and can be fatal for Craspedia. So, when it comes to watering, less is more. In fact, watering is only necessary during periods of severe drought.

Pruning is never necessary, and you only need to fertilise your Craspedia once at the beginning of the growing season with a slow-release fertiliser. For potted Craspedia, we recommend using a liquid fertiliser that you can apply whilst watering, such as our Plantura Liquid Flower Food. Our liquid fertiliser for flowering plants contains nitrogen for lush green foliage as well as potassium to support the plant’s drought resistance. It also contains microorganisms that break down organic matter and promote healthy root growth.

Liquid Flower Food, 800ml

(5/5)

• Perfect for all flowers & balcony plants
• Liquid fertiliser for a lush blossom throughout the season
• Quick & easy application - child & pet friendly

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Is Craspedia hardy?

Unfortunately, Craspedia is not winter hardy in the UK. That said, overwintering is possible, but it is important to know the species to ensure the right overwintering conditions. Most Craspedia species cannot tolerate temperatures below freezing, but there are a few that can handle temperatures down to -17 °C. So, set up your Craspedia in suitably frost-protected and bright winter quarters, and remember to prevent waterlogging.

Propagation

It is easiest to propagate Craspedia from seed. Billy button seeds form inside the flower spheres, like seed formation in chives (Allium schoenoprasum). The best time to harvest the seeds is on a dry day late in summer. Store the seeds in a dark, cool and dry place until it is time to sow them next spring. Follow the instructions above for sowing billy button seeds.

Dried Craspedia

Craspedia are popular flowers to dry. To harvest them for drying, it is best to wait for the flowers to bloom fully. On a dry day, cut the flower stems just above the leaf rosette, tie them together as a bouquet, and hang them upside down in a dry, shady place. They will dry faster somewhere with a slight draught. It typically takes 7 to 10 days for the flowers to dry. After that, you can place them in a vase or weave them into a floral wreath. Shops often carry Craspedia flowers in colours other than yellow; these are not other varieties but rather have been dyed or bleached.

Tip: Craspedia are also wonderful as fresh cut flowers. They will last up to 2 weeks in a vase with water.

Is Craspedia toxic?

Craspedia are classified as non-toxic. Nevertheless, we do not recommend eating them or using them as a decoration on food, as they are known to cause poisoning symptoms in horses. So be careful, and as a precaution keep your pets away from billy button flowers.

A colourful addition to the unique drumstick flower is the sun-loving African daisy (Osteospermum). Visit our article on African daisies to learn more about the colourful range of species and varieties.