A clumping native perennial sending up slender stems topped with perfectly round golden flower balls in spring and summer. A quirky, long-lasting cut flower beloved by florists.
At a glance
- Plant type: Perennial
- Mature size: 60 cm H × 30 cm W
- Aspect: full sun
- Water: happy on low water
- Frost: hardy
- Maintenance: low maintenance
- Origin: Australian native
About Billy Buttons
Botanically, Craspedia globosa is a perennial in the Asteraceae family, native to New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. It reaches around 60 cm tall and 30 cm wide at maturity, with silver-grey foliage. Yellow flowers appear in spring and summer.
Where to grow Billy Buttons
Billy Buttons suits cool-temperate, warm-temperate and Mediterranean climates and grows best in full sun. It is frost hardy and shrugs off cold winters. It also is a genuinely water-wise choice and is usually left alone by rabbits.
Soil & planting
Billy Buttons does best in free-draining and sandy soil. Plant into well-prepared ground, firm the soil around the roots and water deeply to settle it in.
Watering & feeding
Billy Buttons is happy on low water, so once its roots are down it needs little supplementary water. As an Australian native, feed it only with a low-phosphorus native fertiliser. In its first year, water deeply once or twice a week to settle the roots in, then taper off as it establishes.
Pruning & care
Prune Billy Buttons after flowering to keep it compact and encourage the next flush of blooms. Overall it is low maintenance.
Using Billy Buttons in the garden
Billy Buttons earns its place for cut flowers for the vase, pots and courtyard containers and feeding bees and pollinators. It is equally at home in the ground or a large pot on a balcony or courtyard.
Companion planting & design
For a cohesive, low-care bed, pair Billy Buttons with other plants that enjoy the same happy on low water and cool-temperate climate. Repeat it through a border to tie the planting together and give a sense of rhythm. It combines naturally with other Australian natives in a habitat or water-wise garden.
Buying Billy Buttons
Plant Sale lists Billy Buttons as tube stock, potted plants, advanced specimens and seed. Stock isn't live yet — register your interest using the panel above and we'll email you the moment it lands.
Prefer to grow it yourself? See the Billy Buttons seed sowing guide for depth, timing and germination.