Stiff Daisy Fresco Purple - Brachyscome angustifolia 'Fresco Purple'

Brachyscome angustifolia 'Fresco Purple' brings a rich, cool-toned colour to the native garden that is hard to find in a plant this tough and easy to grow. Purple daisy-shaped flowers appear from spring through summer and into autumn, held above dense, fine green foliage in a compact mound that stays tidy with virtually no intervention. At just 25cm tall and spreading to 30 to 60cm wide, it is a fast-growing, low-effort plant that fills space quickly and delivers months of continuous colour with minimal input.

Like its sibling 'Fresco Candy', this cultivar is a reliable butterfly attractor and thrives across a wide range of conditions. It tolerates full sun through to semi shade, clay, loam and sandy soils, and once established is highly drought, frost, and wind tolerant. These qualities make it one of the most versatile compact natives available for Melbourne gardens, coastal plantings, rockeries, low water garden designs, and any situation where a long-flowering, low-maintenance groundcover is needed.

Use it for mass planting, border edging, rockeries, retaining walls, hanging baskets, or containers. A low phosphorus slow-release fertiliser and occasional moisture during dry periods is all it needs to keep performing season after season, making it one of the best value native perennials available for Australian gardens.

Key Features:

• Soil: Adaptable to clay, loam and sandy soils; good drainage preferred, tolerates a wide range of conditions.
• Light: Full sun to semi shade; flowers most prolifically in a full sun position, tolerates semi shade well.
• Watering: Low once established; keep moist during dry periods while young, then reduce as drought tolerance develops.
• Fertiliser: Low phosphorus slow-release fertiliser only; use a formulation specifically designed for Australian natives to avoid root damage.
• Maintenance: Very low maintenance; a light trim after each main flowering flush encourages fresh growth and a new round of blooms, keeping the plant compact and tidy.
• Flowering: Spring, Summer and Autumn; one of the longest flowering native daisies available, often with only a brief rest period in winter.

Fresco Purple' and 'Fresco Candy' are natural companions. Planted together in alternating drifts or mixed masses, the purple and candy pink flowers create a striking, long-lasting display that covers most of the year. Both cultivars have identical care requirements, making them easy to manage as a combined planting. For the densest coverage, plant at 30 to 40cm spacings and allow one season to knit together into a continuous groundcover.

At Plant Nest, we make it easy to buy plants online with delivery direct to your door. Every plant is hand-selected for quality, carefully packed, and backed by expert advice so you can grow with confidence.