Olearia solandri – Golden Tree Daisy – is one of New Zealand’s tougher and more useful native shrubs. Fine foliage, distinctive golden-yellow stems and a naturally layered branching habit give it a character quite different from the heavier-leaved native shrubs commonly used for hedging and screening.

For gardeners, landscapers and rural property owners, its real strength is versatility. It can be grown as an individual garden shrub, clipped into a hedge, planted as a screen or allowed to develop into a much larger natural shrub for farm and shelter planting.

It is particularly useful where conditions are exposed. Wind, coastal exposure and relatively dry conditions can limit the range of suitable plants, while Olearia solandri is naturally associated with exposed coastal environments.

This guide covers what Olearia solandri looks like, how large it grows, where to plant it, and how it can be used in gardens, hedges, screens and larger-scale shelter planting throughout New Zealand.

 

Golden Tree Daisy – Olearia solandri or Shawia solandri?

You may now see this plant listed botanically as Shawia solandri.

For many years it has been known in New Zealand horticulture as Olearia solandri, and that remains the name most gardeners are likely to recognise. Following a recent botanical revision, Shawia solandri is now recognised as the preferred scientific name by New Zealand botanical authorities, with Olearia solandri retained as a synonym.

For simplicity, we retain Olearia solandri throughout this guide for botanical reference and SEO, while using the common name Golden Tree Daisy more often in the everyday text because it is easier for most gardeners to follow.

The species is endemic to New Zealand and occurs naturally through the North Island and northern parts of the South Island, particularly in coastal areas.

What does Golden Tree Daisy (Olearia solandri) look like?

Olearia solandri – Golden Tree Daisy – is an evergreen bushy shrub or small tree with a distinctive fine-textured appearance.

Its leaves are very small and narrow, generally only around 5–10 mm long. They are dark green above and paler underneath. The young stems have a distinctive yellow to golden colouring which contributes considerably to the overall appearance of the plant.

Its branching habit is one of its most attractive characteristics. Rather than forming a perfectly rounded mass of foliage, the branches spread at different angles and form irregular overlapping layers. On an established plant these layers of fine foliage create a loose, textured structure.

This character is worth retaining when Olearia solandri is grown ornamentally. Lightly maintained plants can have considerably more visual interest than shrubs repeatedly clipped into completely smooth geometric shapes.

Small white daisy-like flowers are produced in large numbers. Although individually tiny, their abundance means flowering can become a noticeable seasonal feature on established plants. Flowering is primarily through late summer and autumn, generally from around February to May.

How big does Golden Tree Daisy (Olearia solandri) grow?

This question needs a little more explanation than simply giving one “mature size”.

Plant sizes are often quoted as though every species has a single definitive mature height and width. In practice, mature size depends on what we mean by mature. Are we describing a plant after five years in a garden? Ten years? A very old plant growing naturally without pruning? Or a shrub that has been lightly maintained throughout its life?

For Olearia solandri – Golden Tree Daisy – these distinctions are particularly useful.

As a garden specimen: approximately 2–3 m. In an ordinary garden situation, particularly with occasional maintenance, Golden Tree Daisy can be regarded as a medium to large shrub in the region of 2–3 metres.

As a clipped or maintained shrub or hedge: approximately 1–1.5 m. Golden Tree Daisy responds well to trimming and can readily be maintained considerably below its natural size. Around 1–1.5 metres is a particularly useful height for hedges and maintained screens.

As a natural shrub or farm shelter plant: approximately 4–5 m. Allowed to grow naturally over a long period, Golden Tree Daisy can develop into a substantial shrub or small tree around 4–5 metres high.

These figures aren’t contradictory. They describe the same plant being grown for different purposes. This is an important consideration whenever mature plant dimensions are quoted. A botanical maximum from an old plant growing naturally does not necessarily tell you how large that plant will be in a maintained garden.

How fast does Golden Tree Daisy (Olearia solandri) grow?

Olearia solandri – Golden Tree Daisy – is moderately fast growing.

Under reasonable conditions it establishes into a useful shrub relatively quickly, which is one reason it works well for hedging, screening and shelter. Growth rate still depends considerably on conditions. Soil, moisture, climate, exposure, nutrition and competition from weeds can all affect how quickly young plants develop.

A well-planted and maintained young Olearia will generally establish much faster than one planted into dry, compacted ground amongst competing grass and then left unattended.

Where should Golden Tree Daisy (Olearia solandri) be planted?

Olearia solandri – Golden Tree Daisy – is particularly useful in open situations where a hardy native shrub is required. Full sun is ideal for strong, dense growth, although some partial shade is generally tolerated.

It is well suited to exposed gardens, coastal properties, native gardens, hedging, screening, banks and slopes, rural properties, lifestyle blocks, farm shelter, nursery and establishment shelter, mass native planting, and relatively dry, lower-maintenance landscapes.

Its fine foliage also provides useful contrast alongside broader-leaved natives, grasses, flaxes and more architectural plants.

Soil and drainage

Like most Olearia, Olearia solandri generally prefers good drainage and relatively dry conditions rather than very wet ground.

It is adaptable to a range of ordinary garden soils and doesn’t require unusually rich conditions, but permanently wet or waterlogged soil is not where we would choose to use it. There are other New Zealand native plants much better suited to consistently wet ground.

This distinction becomes particularly important in cold climates. A plant’s ability to withstand low air temperatures is only one part of winter hardiness. Soil drainage, exposure, duration of frost and local conditions can all influence how a plant performs.

For ordinary garden planting, improve very poor soil where necessary, ensure water can drain from the root zone and mulch after planting.

Is Golden Tree Daisy (Olearia solandri) drought tolerant?

Olearia solandri – Golden Tree Daisy – is drought tolerant once established.

That last part is important. A newly planted plant has a root system little larger than the pot it arrived in. Even a species capable of surviving quite dry conditions when mature still needs access to moisture while its roots establish into the surrounding soil.

Water young plants during prolonged dry periods, particularly through their first growing seasons. As plants establish, their dependence on supplementary watering reduces considerably.

This makes Olearia solandri particularly useful for lower-maintenance gardens, exposed banks, rural landscapes and larger planting projects where permanent irrigation would be impractical.

How wind tolerant is Golden Tree Daisy (Olearia solandri)?

Wind tolerance is one of the strongest reasons to consider Olearia solandri – Golden Tree Daisy.

Its natural occurrence in exposed environments and its very small leaves make it well adapted to conditions that can damage softer, larger-leaved garden shrubs. This makes it useful for exposed boundaries, windy residential sections, lifestyle blocks and rural properties.

It can be planted as a garden shrub, developed into a hedge or screen, or incorporated into a larger shelter planting.

As always, there is a difference between the tolerance of an established plant and a newly planted one. Good establishment, weed control and adequate initial watering are particularly important where young plants are being planted directly into severe exposure.

Is Golden Tree Daisy (Olearia solandri) suitable for coastal gardens?

Yes. Olearia solandri – Golden Tree Daisy – is excellent for coastal exposure.

The species occurs naturally in coastal environments and its fine foliage and hardy growth make it particularly useful where wind and exposure restrict the range of suitable plants. It can be used for coastal hedging, screening, mass planting and mixed native landscapes.

No plant should be regarded as completely guaranteed in every coastal situation. There are exceptionally severe sites where combinations of salt, persistent wind, poor soil and exposure can challenge even plants normally regarded as highly coastal tolerant. For most coastal garden situations, however, Olearia solandri is a very useful plant to consider.

Is Golden Tree Daisy (Olearia solandri) frost hardy?

Olearia solandri – Golden Tree Daisy – is generally very hardy and handles hard frosts well.

It can therefore be successfully grown considerably beyond the warmer coastal areas where it occurs naturally. This distinction between natural distribution and cultivated hardiness is important. The fact that a species doesn’t naturally occur in a particular part of New Zealand doesn’t necessarily mean it cannot be successfully grown there.

Golden Tree Daisy can be a useful plant in colder South Island gardens, including Southland and Otago.

We would still avoid giving an absolute frost guarantee, particularly for exceptionally harsh sites such as severe Central Otago frost pockets. Extreme minimum temperatures, duration of frost, soil moisture, drainage, wind exposure and local topography can all affect survival.

A very wet root zone combined with severe cold, for example, may produce a quite different result from the same temperature in well-drained ground. The practical description is therefore very hardy, while recognising that exceptionally severe sites always require some judgement.

How to plant Golden Tree Daisy (Olearia solandri)

Planting Olearia solandri – Golden Tree Daisy – is straightforward, but good establishment makes a considerable difference to its subsequent growth.

Remove competing grass and weeds from around the planting position. Dig a hole large enough to comfortably accommodate the root system and plant at approximately the same depth it was growing in its pot. Backfill and gently firm the surrounding soil.

Water thoroughly after planting. Mulching around the plant helps conserve soil moisture and suppress weeds, but avoid piling heavy mulch directly against the stem.

Continue watering during prolonged dry periods while plants establish. A suitable general-purpose fertiliser can encourage stronger establishment and growth, particularly on poorer sites. Once established, Golden Tree Daisy becomes considerably more self-sufficient.

How far apart should Golden Tree Daisy (Olearia solandri) be planted?

Spacing depends on what you are trying to achieve.

For hedging, approximately 50 cm to 1 metre apart is a useful general range. The appropriate spacing depends on the eventual height and density required: a smaller, tighter hedge will generally justify closer spacing, while a larger hedge or screen can be planted further apart.

For natural, farm and shelter planting, approximately 2–3 metres apart allows individual plants considerably more room to develop towards their natural 4–5 metre size.

These are deliberately broad recommendations. Hedge height, required speed of closure, budget and the overall design can all affect the ideal spacing. More detailed hedge spacing, plants-per-metre guidance and quantity calculations are best considered separately.

Using Golden Tree Daisy (Olearia solandri) as a hedge

Olearia solandri – Golden Tree Daisy – makes an excellent native hedge, particularly where the desired result is softer and more natural than a conventional formal hedge.

It responds well to clipping, but it doesn’t need to be turned into a perfectly smooth wall. We particularly like Olearia solandri as a lightly clipped hedge around 1–1.5 metres high.

Its natural growth produces fine shoots and irregular layers. Allowing a little of this character to remain gives the hedge texture while still keeping its overall dimensions controlled. Alternatively, it can be clipped more tightly where a tidier result is preferred.

There isn’t one correct appearance. The amount of pruning should reflect the garden and the customer’s preference. A contemporary garden might call for a more controlled shape, while a coastal, rural or naturalistic landscape may look better with a looser hedge.

Does Golden Tree Daisy (Olearia solandri) need pruning?

No. Olearia solandri – Golden Tree Daisy – is perfectly capable of being left to develop naturally.

Pruning is primarily about controlling size and deciding what you want the plant to look like. It is also a forgiving plant when pruning is required.

A garden specimen can be occasionally reduced or shaped. A screen can be trimmed enough to prevent it becoming too large. A hedge can be clipped regularly to maintain a defined height and width.

There is no need to wait for one particular pruning date for ordinary maintenance. Trim when required.

If flowering is particularly important, pruning can obviously affect how much flowering growth is retained, but Olearia solandri is hardy enough that ordinary garden pruning is primarily a matter of preference. This makes it suitable for both gardeners who like a tidy, shaped landscape and those who prefer to allow native shrubs to develop a more natural form.

Golden Tree Daisy (Olearia solandri) for shelter planting

Shelter is one of the areas where Olearia solandri is particularly versatile. It can perform several different jobs depending on how it is managed.

At a smaller scale it can provide establishment or nursery shelter, helping create protection around more vulnerable planting. It can form a maintained hedge or screen around residential or lifestyle properties. Allowed to develop naturally, it can become part of a much larger farm shelter planting, eventually reaching approximately 4–5 metres.

For natural and farm shelter planting, spacing plants approximately 2–3 metres apart gives them room to develop into substantial shrubs.

Mixed shelter planting can also combine Olearia solandri with natives of different heights and foliage densities, creating layers of protection rather than relying on a single species.

Golden Tree Daisy (Olearia solandri) for banks and slopes

Banks and slopes can be difficult places to establish gardens. They are often exposed to wind, can dry quickly, may contain relatively poor soil and can be awkward to water or maintain.

Golden Tree Daisy’s combination of wind tolerance, drought tolerance once established and relatively low maintenance makes it useful in these situations, provided the site is reasonably well drained.

It can be mass planted or combined with other hardy natives to create a more varied landscape. Rather than automatically planting every difficult bank with the same species, it is usually better to match plants to the actual conditions. A dry exposed bank requires a different planting approach from a permanently wet slope.

What can I plant with Golden Tree Daisy (Olearia solandri)?

Olearia solandri – Golden Tree Daisy – combines particularly well with plants that contrast with its fine foliage and layered branching. Broad-leaved shrubs, native grasses and architectural plants can all provide useful contrast.

Depending on the conditions, suitable companions can include Corokia, Coprosma, Chionochloa, Phormium, Cordyline, Griselinia and other Olearia.

The best combinations aren’t simply those that look good together. Plants should also have broadly compatible requirements for sun, drainage, moisture and exposure. This becomes particularly important on difficult sites. There is little benefit in creating an attractive planting combination on paper if half of the plants require conditions the site cannot provide.

Is Golden Tree Daisy (Olearia solandri) good for difficult gardens?

This is arguably where Golden Tree Daisy becomes most useful.

There are plenty of shrubs that perform well in sheltered, fertile gardens with regular water. Choosing plants becomes more difficult when the site is exposed or maintenance needs to be kept relatively low.

Olearia solandri is particularly worth considering where conditions are windy, coastal, relatively dry, exposed, well drained, difficult to irrigate permanently, intended for lower-maintenance planting, suitable for hedging or screening, or part of a larger shelter planting.

Its limitations are equally worth understanding. If the site is permanently wet or waterlogged, we would generally select something better adapted to those conditions.

Likewise, although Olearia solandri is very hardy, no plant can be guaranteed against every combination of extreme frost, exposure, waterlogging and difficult soil. Choosing the right plant for the whole site, rather than relying on a single hardiness label, produces much better results.

Where in New Zealand can Golden Tree Daisy (Olearia solandri) be grown?

Golden Tree Daisy’s natural distribution extends through the North Island and into the northern South Island, particularly around coastal environments. Its usefulness in cultivation extends much further.

It can be grown in warmer northern gardens, exposed Wellington sites, Canterbury, Otago and Southland, provided the local conditions are suitable.

In warmer areas, exposure, summer dryness and coastal conditions may be the main considerations. In colder areas, frost, drainage and local frost pockets become increasingly important.

This is why regional plant recommendations need to go beyond simply looking at where a species occurs naturally.

Common problems with Golden Tree Daisy (Olearia solandri)

Olearia solandri – Golden Tree Daisy – is generally straightforward to grow, but “hardy” does not mean completely maintenance-free from the moment it is planted.

Insufficient water after planting – drought tolerance applies primarily to established plants. Young plants still need adequate moisture while their root systems develop.

Grass and weed competition – surrounding vegetation can compete strongly with small plants for moisture and nutrients.

Very wet soil – Olearia generally prefer good drainage. Permanently wet or waterlogged sites are better planted with species adapted to those conditions.

Poor planting technique – planting too deeply, heavily compacting the root zone or allowing the root ball to repeatedly dry out can slow establishment.

Insufficient nutrition – hardy native plants still respond to appropriate feeding, particularly when rapid establishment is desirable.

Choosing the wrong site based on one characteristic – a plant may be very frost hardy but still struggle where severe frost is combined with saturated soil, for example.

Ongoing maintenance

Once established, Golden Tree Daisy is relatively low maintenance.

Keep weeds and grass away from young plants while they establish. Mulching can help suppress weeds and conserve moisture. Water during prolonged dry periods until the plants have developed a substantial root system.

Feed as required to maintain healthy growth, particularly where plants are regularly clipped and expected to continually replace foliage.

Beyond that, maintenance depends largely on the intended result. Leave it alone for a natural shrub or shelter plant. Occasionally shape it for a garden specimen. Trim it more regularly for a hedge or controlled screen. Golden Tree Daisy is sufficiently forgiving that the maintenance regime can largely follow the gardener’s preference.

Frequently asked questions

How fast does Olearia solandri grow? Olearia solandri – Golden Tree Daisy – is moderately fast growing. Growth varies with climate, soil, exposure, water, nutrition and establishment conditions.

How tall does Olearia solandri grow? It depends on how it is being grown. As a useful guide, allow approximately 2–3 m for a garden specimen, 1–1.5 m for a clipped or maintained hedge, and 4–5 m for an older natural or farm shelter plant.

Why do different websites give different mature sizes? Because “mature size” isn’t as precise a term as it sounds. The size of a plant depends on its age, growing conditions and whether it is being pruned. A 10-year-old maintained garden shrub and a very old unpruned plant growing naturally can both be mature plants while being dramatically different sizes. For this reason, we prefer to give practical size guidance based on how the plant is actually being used.

Is Olearia solandri good for hedging? Yes. It responds well to pruning and its fine evergreen foliage makes an attractive native hedge. It can be tightly maintained or allowed to retain a softer, slightly irregular appearance.

How far apart should I plant Olearia solandri for a hedge? Approximately 50 cm to 1 metre apart, depending on the ultimate hedge size and how quickly a continuous screen is required.

How far apart should I plant Olearia solandri for farm shelter? Approximately 2–3 metres apart is a useful general spacing where plants will be allowed to develop naturally towards their much larger mature size.

Does Olearia solandri need full sun? Full sun is ideal, although it can tolerate some partial shade.

Is Olearia solandri drought tolerant? Yes, once established. Newly planted plants should still be watered through prolonged dry periods while their root systems develop.

Is Olearia solandri frost hardy? It is generally very hardy and handles hard frosts well. Exceptionally severe frost pockets, particularly where other difficult conditions such as wet soil are also present, should still be assessed individually.

Is Olearia solandri suitable for Central Otago? It can be suitable, but Central Otago contains some exceptionally harsh microclimates and frost pockets. Good drainage and the particular site matter, so we wouldn’t guarantee any plant simply on the basis of a general frost-hardiness rating.

Can Olearia solandri grow near the coast? Yes. It is excellent for coastal exposure and naturally occurs in coastal environments. Extremely severe sites can challenge even highly coastal-tolerant plants, so local conditions still matter.

Does Olearia solandri tolerate wet ground? We wouldn’t choose it for permanently wet or waterlogged conditions. Olearia generally prefer reasonably well-drained, drier sites, and other native species are better suited to consistently wet ground.

When should I prune Olearia solandri? Whenever required. It is forgiving of pruning and can also be left largely unpruned. How often it is trimmed depends mainly on whether you want a tidy hedge, shaped garden shrub, looser screen or completely natural plant.

Buying Golden Tree Daisy (Olearia solandri) online in New Zealand

Greenmachine supplies Olearia solandri – Golden Tree Daisy – for home gardens, hedging, screening, shelter and larger landscape projects throughout New Zealand.

Our standard plants are grown in 7 cm square pots. This makes it practical to plant the quantities required for hedges, screens, shelter and mass planting rather than relying on a small number of expensive mature specimens.

For larger projects, correct spacing and plant numbers are generally more important than simply buying the largest individual plants.

Click here to view Olearia Solandri - Golden Tree Daisy Listings

Why we like Golden Tree Daisy (Olearia solandri)

Olearia solandri – Golden Tree Daisy – isn’t a plant that relies on oversized flowers or dramatic foliage. Its appeal comes from a combination of texture, toughness and usefulness.

Fine leaves, golden stems and irregular layered branching give it a distinctive character, while its tolerance of wind, coastal exposure, frost and relatively dry conditions makes it useful in places where appearance alone isn’t enough.

Perhaps most importantly, it can change roles as the landscape requires. Keep it at 1–1.5 metres for a hedge. Allow 2–3 metres for a garden shrub. Or give it room to develop towards 4–5 metres as part of a natural or farm shelter planting.

That flexibility makes Olearia solandri a particularly useful New Zealand native for gardens, lifestyle blocks and larger larger landscapes.