If you've heard us talk about how readily paper daisies self-seed, you might be wondering, if I let my paper daisies go to seed, are they going to spread everywhere and become difficult to control?
The good news is that while Australian native paper daisies are wonderful self-seeders, they are annual flowers that are generally very easy to manage in the garden.
By allowing some of your paper daisies flowers to naturally set seed in the garden, you might be rewarded with a new generation of seedlings popping up the following season. This can sometimes be in places that you weren’t expecting.
Do Paper Daisies Spread?
Yes, paper daisies can spread through seed. As your flowers finish blooming, the bright petals gradually fade and fold backwards while the centres become fluffy as the seed matures.
Once ripe, the lightweight, fluffy seeds can be carried by the breeze before eventually settling onto the soil. Some will land beneath the original plants. Others may travel a little further across your garden.
Then when the seasonal conditions, moisture and soil temperature are favourable, some of those seeds may germinate and begin another generation of paper daisies. This is one of the reasons a patch of paper daisies can become even more beautiful in its second season.
Are Paper Daisies Perennials?
No. The Australian everlasting paper daisies we grow, Rhodanthe chlorocephala subsp. rosea, are annuals. This means that the original plant doesn’t continue to grow from the same root system year after year. Instead, each plant completes its lifecycle:
Seed → Seedling → Plant → Flower → Seed
The original plant eventually dies back, and any new plants you see the following season have grown from seed. This is an important difference between a plant that readily self-seeds and a perennial that continues spreading from an established root system.
Read: Do Paper Daisies Come Back Every Year? Annual or Perennial Explained
What If Paper Daisies Grow Somewhere I Don't Want Them?
This is one of the lovely things about paper daisies; young seedlings are very easy to manage.
Because the seeds are lightweight and can move in the breeze, you may occasionally find seedlings appearing outside your original flower patch. If one appears somewhere you'd rather not have it, simply pull the young seedling from the soil. You can leave the seedlings you love and remove the ones you don't.
How Do I Stop Paper Daisies from Self-Seeding?
If you'd prefer to keep your paper daisies contained to a particular area, don't allow all the flowers to mature and release their seed.
Instead, you can:
- Pick flowers regularly for fresh bunches.
- Harvest flowers to dry.
- Remove finished flower heads before the seed becomes mature and fluffy.
- Collect mature seed yourself before it becomes airborne.
Read: How to Pick, Dry and Enjoy Paper Daisy Flowers
You don't have to remove every flower.
We love leaving some blooms to finish their natural lifecycle while picking others to enjoy fresh or dry. This gives you the best of both worlds, flowers to enjoy now and the possibility of new seedlings next season.
Should I Let My Paper Daisies Self-Seed?
If you have the space, we think it's one of the most enjoyable parts of growing them. There's something special about seeing tiny seedlings appear from flowers you grew the season before.
You don't need to replant those seedlings or decide exactly where every flower should grow. Let the ones you like continue growing and simply remove any that appear somewhere inconvenient.
And because they're annuals, your garden isn't being taken over by an expanding underground root system. Each new paper daisy has started again from seed.
Will My Paper Daisies Come Back Next Year?
They certainly can, but because paper daisies are annuals, it's new seedlings returning rather than the original plants. Whether self-sown seed germinates the following season depends on the conditions in your garden, including moisture and temperature.
We've seen firsthand just how much local conditions can influence when self-sown paper daisies germinate and whether those young seedlings survive.
Want to understand the whole process?
Read: Do Paper Daisies Come Back Every Year?
Frequently Asked Questions
Do paper daisies spread?
Paper daisies can spread naturally by seed. Once mature, their lightweight seeds can be carried by the breeze and may germinate elsewhere in the garden when conditions are favourable.
Are paper daisies invasive?
Australian native paper daisies are self-seeding annuals and can produce plenty of seed, but in a home garden unwanted young seedlings are generally simple to remove by hand. If you want to limit self-seeding, remove or harvest the flower heads before mature seed is released.
Are paper daisies weeds?
Paper daisies are Australian native wildflowers. A self-sown plant appearing somewhere you didn't intentionally plant it isn't automatically a weed and if it's growing somewhere, you don't want it, the young plant can simply be removed.
How do I stop paper daisies from spreading?
Pick or remove the flowers before their seed fully matures and becomes airborne. You can also collect mature seed yourself and store it for planting exactly where you want it the following season.
Do paper daisies grow back from their roots?
No. Paper daisies are annuals, so the original plant completes its lifecycle and dies back. New plants that appear the following season have germinated from seed rather than regrowing from the previous plant's roots.
Let Them Grow
One of our favourite things about paper daisies is that the garden doesn't have to be perfectly planned. Leave a few flowers to set seed and you never quite know where a little patch might appear next season. And if they choose the wrong spot? Simply pull those seedlings out and leave the others to grow.
That's part of the magic of growing Australian everlasting paper daisies.
Ready to Start Your Own Paper Daisy Patch?
Start with one packet of seed and you never quite know where it might lead. Grow your first patch of Australian native everlasting paper daisies, enjoy months of pink and white blooms, and leave a few flowers to set seed for the possibility of another beautiful display next season.
