Simon Tonge, no rights reserved (CC0) · iNaturalist

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Bedfordia salicina

blanket bush

Asteraceae Southeastern Australia

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies

SunPart Shade – Full Shade

WaterMedium

HardinessZones 8–9

Overview

Bedfordia salicina is an erect shrub or small tree 6-26 feet (2-8 m) tall with slender, upright stems and a narrow, sparse crown. The willow-like leaves are alternate, lance-shaped, 2.4-6 inches (6-15 cm) long, dark green and slightly rough above and densely white-woolly beneath, the felted undersides giving the plant the name blanket bush. The young stems are also coated in white wool. Small heads of yellow tubular flowers, lacking ray florets, are clustered in the upper leaf axils in spring, each head about 0.4 inch (10 mm) long. The flowers are followed by small seeds tipped with a pappus of slender bristles that carry them on the wind. The plant grows in cool, moist forest and gully margins in southeastern Australia and Tasmania, often on damp, sheltered slopes. It tolerates shade and cool conditions but is sensitive to drought and exposure. The open, leggy habit and preference for moist shade limit its use in hot, dry, or open gardens.

Native Range

Bedfordia salicina is native to southeastern Australia, in Tasmania, Victoria, and southern New South Wales. It grows in cool, moist eucalypt forest, rainforest margins, and shaded gullies on damp, fertile soils.

Suggested Uses

Used in cool, shaded native gardens, fern gullies, and moist woodland borders where its felted foliage and upright form suit a sheltered setting. It forms a tall backdrop among ferns and other shade plants. Suited to cool-temperate and Tasmanian gardens rather than hot, dry climates.

How to Identify

Recognized by an erect shrub or small tree with willow-like lance-shaped leaves 2.4-6 inches (6-15 cm) long, dark green above and densely white-woolly beneath, on white-woolly young stems. Small clusters of rayless yellow flower heads sit in the upper leaf axils in spring. The white felted leaf undersides and willow-shaped leaves separate it from related daisy shrubs.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height6' - 26'

Width/Spread5' - 13'

Colors

Flower Colors

yellow

Foliage Colors

green

Fall Foliage Colors

no change

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~8 weeks

Spring

Flowers in spring, mainly September to November in its native range, with small clusters of yellow rayless flower heads in the leaf axils. The flowers draw insects in cool forest clearings. Wind-borne seed follows in early summer.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

dark green above, white beneath

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunPartial Shade SunFull Shade

Requires 2-5 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.0 - 6.5(Acidic)

357912

Soil Types

loam clay

Drainagemoist

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

3-5 years

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grows in part shade to dappled light on cool, moist, fertile soils that drain freely, reflecting its forest-gully origins. It tolerates deep shade but needs steady moisture and shelter from hot, drying winds. It is sensitive to drought and to hot, exposed positions, where it struggles and drops leaves. The plant is grown from seed or half-ripe cuttings and develops an open, upright frame. Mulching keeps the roots cool and moist through summer. It suits cool-temperate gardens and performs poorly in hot inland climates.

Pruning

A trim after flowering reduces the open, leggy habit and encourages branching lower down. The shrub tolerates cutting back into older wood and reshoots in healthy plants. Removing spent flower heads limits self-sown seedlings.