How to Plant Golden Tree Daisy – Spacing, Establishment & Aftercare

Golden Tree Daisy is a tough New Zealand native, but good establishment still matters.

Whether you are planting Shawia solandri as a clipped hedge, an informal screen, a garden specimen or a larger shelter planting, the first couple of years have a major influence on how quickly the plants establish and develop.

The basics are straightforward: choose the right spacing, prepare the ground properly, control competing grass and weeds, plant at the correct depth, provide long-term nutrition and water appropriately while the roots establish.

Get those things right and Golden Tree Daisy is generally a remarkably straightforward plant to grow.

Shawia solandri is the current botanical name for the plant many New Zealand gardeners know as Olearia solandri. Throughout this guide we'll predominantly use its ordinary name, Golden Tree Daisy.

Read More: Complete Golden Tree Daisy Growing & Planting Guide

Shop: Golden Tree Daisy – Shawia solandri

Before planting: decide what you want the plants to become

The first decision should be made before you dig the holes.

How are you going to use the plants?

Golden Tree Daisy can be grown in several quite different ways:

• a relatively low maintained hedge
• a taller residential screen
• individual garden specimens
• an informal boundary
• a large natural shelter or shelterbelt.

This matters because the intended use determines the spacing between plants.

A Golden Tree Daisy hedge that you intend to maintain at around 75 cm tall should not necessarily be planted at the same spacing as a natural shelter row that may eventually reach 4–5 m.

For a detailed look at maintained hedges:

Read More: Golden Tree Daisy as a Native Hedge

For larger natural shelter plantings:

Read More: Golden Tree Daisy for Shelter & Shelterbelts

Golden Tree Daisy hedge spacing

For a maintained Golden Tree Daisy hedge, we generally recommend spacing plants at approximately 50 cm to 1 m centres.

The appropriate spacing depends partly on how tall you intend to keep the hedge.

As a general principle:

Lower hedges benefit from closer spacing. Taller hedges can be planted farther apart.

If you are trying to produce a relatively low 50–75 cm hedge, the individual plants have less height in which to spread sideways and connect with their neighbours. Planting them more closely helps create continuity.

Where the hedge will eventually be around 1.5–2 m tall, each plant has considerably more room to develop width and the spacing can be increased.

Greenmachine Golden Tree Daisy hedge spacing guide

These are practical establishment guidelines rather than rigid rules. Soil fertility, exposure, pruning and how quickly you want the plants to connect will all influence the finished hedge.

Read More: Golden Tree Daisy as a Native Hedge

How many Golden Tree Daisy plants do I need for a hedge?

Once you know your spacing, calculating plant numbers is straightforward.

For example, a 10 m hedge planted at 50 cm centres will require approximately 20 plants.

The same 10 m hedge planted at 1 m centres will require approximately 10 plants.

For longer hedge lines, simply divide the total length by your chosen spacing.

Remember that planting closer generally means purchasing more plants initially, but it can produce a connected hedge sooner. Wider spacing reduces the number of plants required but gives each individual plant more room to develop.

Mark the planting line before you start

For a hedge, it is worth marking the entire planting line before digging.

A string line, measuring tape or marked positions along the ground make it much easier to maintain reasonably consistent spacing.

The row does not need to look artificially perfect, but large accidental variations in spacing become much more obvious as the hedge develops.

Golden Tree Daisy spacing for shelter

A natural shelter planting is very different from a maintained hedge.

For Golden Tree Daisy used as larger shelter or a shelterbelt, we generally recommend approximately 2–3 m centres.

At around 2 m spacing, the plants will generally begin connecting sooner and form a more continuous shelter.

At 2.5–3 m spacing, individual shrubs have more room to develop their naturally broad, irregular form.

Remember that Golden Tree Daisy allowed to grow naturally can eventually reach approximately 4–5 m, so shelter plants do not need to be packed together like hedge plants.

In fact, a useful shelterbelt is not necessarily an impenetrable solid wall. Some permeability can help reduce wind speed without creating excessive turbulence immediately behind the planting.

Read More: Golden Tree Daisy for Shelter & Shelterbelts

Choose the right planting position

Golden Tree Daisy performs particularly well in sunny, exposed and reasonably free-draining positions.

It is especially useful where several difficult conditions overlap.

Once established, it can cope well with:

• wind
• exposure
• relatively dry conditions
• coastal conditions
• regular frost.

That does not mean every difficult position is automatically suitable.

Golden Tree Daisy is not a plant we would choose for permanently waterlogged soil. If water regularly sits around the root zone, either improve the drainage or choose a plant genuinely adapted to wet conditions.

For specific difficult-site advice:

Read more: Golden Tree Daisy for Windy Gardens

Read More: Golden Tree Daisy for Dry Gardens & Drought-Prone Sites

Read More: Golden Tree Daisy for Coastal Gardens – A Tough Native for Wind & Exposure

Read More: Golden Tree Daisy for Frosty & Cold-Climate Gardens – A Hardy Native for Southern NZ

Prepare the planting area

One of the most important establishment jobs happens before the plants go into the ground.

Remove competing grass and weeds from around the planting position.

Grass can be particularly competitive with small newly planted shrubs. A young Golden Tree Daisy supplied in a 7 cm pot has a relatively small root system compared with an established lawn surrounding it.

Leaving dense grass right up against the stem forces the young plant to compete immediately for moisture and nutrients.

For a hedge, preparing a continuous weed-free strip is often the simplest approach.

For more widely spaced shelter or specimen planting, individual weed-free areas around each plant can work well.

The objective is the same: give the young root system some space in which to establish without immediate competition.

Plant at the correct depth

Golden Tree Daisy should be planted at approximately the same depth it was growing in the pot.

The top of the root ball should sit approximately level with the surrounding finished soil.

Avoid burying the stem deeply.

Dig a hole large enough to comfortably accommodate the root ball and loosen surrounding soil where necessary so developing roots can move outward.

Greenmachine plants are supplied in 7 cm square pots, so the initial root ball is deliberately small. Don't mistake the small starting plant for its eventual potential—the objective is to establish that root system quickly into the surrounding ground.

Add slow-release fertiliser tablets at planting

One of the most effective things we have found for improving the establishment and early growth of Golden Tree Daisy is adding slow-release fertiliser tablets at planting time.

For normal garden conditions, we recommend approximately 3–4 fertiliser tablets per plant.

Place the tablets into the soil around the developing root zone when planting rather than concentrating them directly against the stem or root ball.

The tablets provide a steady supply of nutrients as the young plant establishes and can continue feeding the plant for up to approximately two years.

That is particularly useful because the first couple of years are exactly when the plant is being asked to develop a much larger root system, produce new foliage and adapt to its new environment.

In our experience, the difference in establishment and subsequent growth can be substantial.

Shop: Fertiliser Tablets – 100 Pack

Poor soils and difficult establishment sites

On particularly poor or depleted sites, we have found that increasing the number of slow-release tablets can make an enormous difference.

While 3–4 tablets is our normal recommendation, in extremely poor conditions we may use around 10 tablets per plant to provide a considerably greater nutrient reserve during establishment.

Because the nutrients are released gradually, slow-release tablets have a much lower risk of fertiliser burn than applying a large quantity of readily soluble fertiliser around a young root system.

They should still be distributed through the surrounding soil rather than piled together directly against the stem or root ball.

For difficult sites, this relatively small addition at planting can be a genuine game changer—particularly when combined with good weed control, adequate establishment watering and proper planting.

Water thoroughly after planting

Once the plant is in the ground and the soil has been firmed gently around it, water thoroughly.

The aim is not simply to wet the surface.

A good initial watering helps settle soil around the root ball and ensures that both the original potting mix and surrounding soil are properly moist.

This is particularly important when planting into dry ground because the small original root ball can dry considerably faster than the surrounding landscape suggests.

Watering during establishment

Golden Tree Daisy becomes quite tolerant of dry conditions once established, but a newly planted Golden Tree Daisy is not yet an established Golden Tree Daisy.

Its roots initially occupy only the small volume of potting mix that came from the nursery container.

Until those roots extend into the surrounding soil, prolonged dry periods can affect the plant surprisingly quickly.

Water according to actual soil moisture and weather conditions, rather than following an inflexible calendar.

During cool wet periods, little or no supplementary water may be required.

During warm, dry or windy weather, plants may need deeper and more regular watering.

The objective is to encourage the soil profile around the root system to become properly moist, then allow normal aeration between waterings—not to keep the plant permanently saturated.

Read More: Golden Tree Daisy for Dry Gardens & Drought-Prone Sites

Mulch can help

Mulch can be useful for reducing moisture loss and suppressing new weed growth around young plants.

Apply it across the weed-free area rather than piling it directly against the stem.

A modest clear area immediately around the base of the plant helps avoid keeping the stem constantly damp.

Mulch does not eliminate the need to check for weeds. Persistent grasses and perennial weeds can grow through or around it and should still be removed.

Keep grass and weeds away during establishment

Planting day is only the beginning of weed control.

One of the simplest ways to improve establishment is to maintain the weed-free area while the plants are young.

As Golden Tree Daisy grows, its expanding root system and canopy give it progressively more ability to compete with surrounding vegetation.

During the early establishment stage, however, allowing grass to completely recolonise the planting area can substantially increase competition for water and nutrients.

This is particularly important with larger hedge and shelter plantings where it is easy to plant the row successfully and then forget about the ground underneath it.

When should I start trimming a Golden Tree Daisy hedge?

Don't be afraid to begin shaping a hedge while the plants are still relatively young.

Light trimming can encourage branching and help develop a denser structure.

However, the objective is not to repeatedly remove all the new growth before the plant has had a chance to establish.

Allow young plants to develop, then progressively shape them toward the desired hedge height and width.

Once the plants begin approaching their intended dimensions, trimming can become more regular.

A Golden Tree Daisy hedge is generally most attractive when it retains some natural texture and variation rather than being cut into an unnaturally hard geometric block.

Read More: Golden Tree Daisy as a Native Hedge

Establishing Golden Tree Daisy as natural shelter

Shelter planting requires a different approach.

Here, the objective is generally not to force the plants into a low, tightly clipped form.

Allow individual Golden Tree Daisy plants to develop their naturally loose, layered structure and progressively occupy the space between them.

Early maintenance should concentrate on:

• controlling competing vegetation
• maintaining adequate moisture
• correcting any obvious establishment problems
• protecting plants from stock where relevant
• allowing strong natural growth.

Over time, individual plants begin to overlap and collectively form a much larger sheltering mass.

Some variation in height, width and shape is desirable. Natural shelter should not look like fifty identical shrubs copied and pasted along a fence.

Read More: Golden Tree Daisy for Shelter & Shelterbelts

Establishing Golden Tree Daisy on windy sites

Wind increases moisture loss from both plants and soil.

That means establishment watering and weed control become particularly important on exposed sites.

Young plants have much less root volume available to replace moisture lost through their foliage than established shrubs do.

Once the roots are well established, Golden Tree Daisy's natural wind tolerance becomes one of its major advantages.

Don't be concerned if plants on strongly exposed sites develop somewhat asymmetrical forms. Natural wind-shaped growth is part of what makes the plant useful in these landscapes.

Read More: Golden Tree Daisy for Windy Gardens – A Hardy Native for Exposed Sites

Establishing Golden Tree Daisy in cold and frosty areas

Golden Tree Daisy is generally very frost hardy and can be useful in colder South Island gardens.

Good drainage becomes particularly important where cold conditions and winter moisture occur together.

Avoid permanently waterlogged planting positions and be aware of unusually severe frost pockets where cold air collects.

In particularly harsh inland locations, spring planting can give young plants a longer establishment period before their first severe winter.

For the full cold-climate discussion:

Read More: Golden Tree Daisy for Frosty & Cold-Climate Gardens – A Hardy Native for Southern NZ

How quickly does Golden Tree Daisy establish?

Golden Tree Daisy is a moderately fast-growing native when conditions suit it.

How quickly a planting develops depends heavily on the establishment conditions.

Plants with:

• good weed control
• adequate moisture
• suitable drainage
• appropriate nutrition
• reasonable soil conditions

can establish considerably faster than plants put into grass, left without water during prolonged dry periods or planted into unsuitable ground.

This is why we place so much emphasis on the first couple of years.

The objective is not to maintain intensive care forever.

The objective is to get the plant established quickly enough that it no longer needs intensive care.

Once established, Golden Tree Daisy becomes a considerably tougher and lower-input shrub.

Golden Tree Daisy planting checklist

Before walking away from a new planting, check that you have:

• chosen spacing appropriate to the intended hedge, screen or shelter
• removed competing grass and weeds
• planted the root ball approximately level with the surrounding soil
• added approximately 3–4 slow-release fertiliser tablets, or more where soil conditions are particularly poor
• distributed the tablets through the surrounding soil rather than against the stem
• watered the plant thoroughly after planting
• mulched where appropriate while keeping mulch away from the stem
• planned how you will keep the planting area weed-free
• considered how watering will be managed during dry establishment periods.

None of these jobs is particularly complicated.

Together, however, they can make a very substantial difference to how successfully and quickly a planting develops.

One plant, several very different results

One of the useful characteristics of Golden Tree Daisy is that the same plant can ultimately fill several very different landscape roles.

Kept trimmed, it can form a 1–1.5 m residential hedge or screen.

Given more room in a garden, it can develop into a 2–3 m natural specimen.

Allowed to develop as larger shelter, it can eventually reach approximately 4–5 m.

That is why spacing and the intended end use should be considered from the beginning.

The young plant may be small when it arrives, but you are planting for the shrub it is going to become.

Shawia solandri or Olearia solandri?

Golden Tree Daisy has traditionally been known in New Zealand horticulture as Olearia solandri.

Following botanical revision, the current botanical name is Shawia solandri.

At Greenmachine we predominantly use Golden Tree Daisy in ordinary language and Shawia solandri as the current botanical name, while retaining Olearia solandri where useful for recognition and legacy searches.

If you already know the plant as Olearia solandri, it is the same Golden Tree Daisy discussed throughout this guide.

Ready to plant Golden Tree Daisy?

If you're still deciding whether Golden Tree Daisy is right for your site, start with our complete guide:

Read More: Complete Golden Tree Daisy Growing & Planting Guide

If you're ready to start planting:

Shop: Golden Tree Daisy – Shawia solandri

And for larger plantings, browse the relevant Greenmachine hedge and shelter packs where available.

Shop: Greenmachine Shelter Collection