Golden Tree Daisy for Shelter & Shelterbelts
Golden Tree Daisy – Shawia solandri (formerly Olearia solandri) – is particularly well suited to shelter planting in New Zealand. Its tolerance of wind, coastal exposure, frost and relatively dry conditions, combined with its ability to develop into a substantial native shrub, makes it useful for everything from lifestyle-block boundaries to farm shelter and exposed residential sites.
Unlike a conventional clipped hedge, shelter planting generally allows Golden Tree Daisy to develop much more of its natural size and form. Its loose, layered branching gradually overlaps with neighbouring plants, creating a broad, semi-permeable barrier rather than a tightly clipped wall.
Why use Golden Tree Daisy for shelter?
Good shelter planting needs to do more than simply become tall.
A useful shelter plant needs to tolerate the conditions it is being planted to protect against. Golden Tree Daisy is particularly useful because it combines strong wind tolerance with fine evergreen foliage and a naturally dense but slightly open branching structure.
Its small leaves and fine branches cope particularly well with exposure. Once established, it is also relatively drought tolerant and requires little ongoing maintenance where it is allowed to grow naturally.
Golden Tree Daisy can therefore be particularly useful for:
- farm shelter and shelterbelts
- lifestyle blocks
- exposed rural properties
- windy residential sections
- coastal properties
- boundaries adjoining open paddocks
- protecting gardens, outdoor living areas and more vulnerable planting
- establishment or nursery shelter
Hedge or shelter – what is the difference?
Although the same plant can be used for both purposes, a hedge and a shelter planting are not quite the same thing.
A hedge is normally maintained at a deliberately restricted height and width. It is usually clipped or shaped and is commonly used as a boundary, screen or garden feature. Golden Tree Daisy hedges might commonly be maintained around 1–1.5 metres high.
Shelter is generally less formal. Plants are spaced further apart, clipped much less—or not at all—and allowed to develop into substantially larger shrubs.
For closer planting, maintained heights and plant quantities, see our hedge guide - - Golden Tree Daisy as a Native Hedge
An established Golden Tree Daisy shelter row therefore shouldn't necessarily look like an oversized hedge. Individual plants can retain their irregular shapes, with branches gradually overlapping to form the shelter.
This distinction also affects plant spacing.
Where Golden Tree Daisy shelter planting works well
Golden Tree Daisy is particularly suited to open sites where wind exposure is one of the main challenges.
On farms and lifestyle blocks it can be planted along paddock boundaries, fences, driveways or around buildings and gardens. In residential landscapes it can provide a looser sheltering boundary around decks, outdoor living areas or exposed gardens without necessarily creating the appearance of a formal hedge.
Coastal properties are another particularly useful application. Golden Tree Daisy naturally tolerates coastal exposure and can provide shelter where persistent wind and salt exposure restrict the range of suitable plants.
It is also useful in colder parts of New Zealand. Golden Tree Daisy is very hardy and handles hard frosts well, although extremely severe frost pockets and poorly drained sites should still be considered individually.
For more general information on Golden Tree Daisy see our Complete Golden Tree Daisy growing and planting guide
How tall does Golden Tree Daisy grow?
The eventual size depends heavily on how the plants are managed.
Golden Tree Daisy maintained as a hedge can readily be kept around 1–1.5 metres high.
A garden shrub might commonly be allowed to reach around 2–3 metres.
For natural farm or lifestyle-block shelter, plants can eventually develop towards approximately 4–5 metres high when given sufficient space and allowed to grow largely naturally.
This larger natural size is important when planning shelter. A young row can initially appear widely spaced, but the plants become substantially broader as they mature.
For more general information on Golden Tree Daisy see our Complete Golden Tree Daisy growing and planting guide
How should Golden Tree Daisy be spaced for shelter?
For natural shelter planting, approximately 2–3 metres between plants is a useful general starting point.
This is deliberately much wider than hedge spacing.
The objective isn't necessarily to create an instant solid wall. Each plant needs enough room to develop its broad natural structure. As the plants mature, their outer branches begin to overlap and the separate shrubs gradually function as a continuous shelter row.
Closer spacing will generally produce closure sooner, while wider spacing allows more room for individual plants to reach their natural size.
Site exposure, the required height of the shelter, available space, budget and how quickly protection is required can all influence the final spacing.
How shelter develops over time
A newly planted shelter row should initially look relatively open. This is normal.
During establishment, the individual Golden Tree Daisy plants develop their root systems and begin producing increasingly vigorous branching.
At around 2–3 years, depending on conditions and starting plant size, the row may still consist of clearly separate shrubs with substantial gaps between them.
By around 5 years, good plants can be considerably larger and broader. Their irregular outer branches may begin overlapping while the individual plants remain clearly distinguishable.
With further growth, those overlapping plants progressively create a more substantial shelterbelt.
The exact rate will vary considerably with climate, soil, moisture, nutrition, weed competition and exposure, so these ages should be regarded as an illustration of the development process rather than guaranteed growth rates.
One row or multiple rows?
A single row of Golden Tree Daisy can provide useful shelter where space is limited or where a relatively simple boundary planting is required.
For larger rural shelter projects, multiple rows can create greater depth.
Rather than simply duplicating identical rows, larger shelter plantings can also incorporate different native species. Plants of different heights, foliage densities and growth habits can create a layered shelter system.
The appropriate design depends on the scale of the property, prevailing wind, available width and what is being protected.
Using Golden Tree Daisy with other native shelter plants
Golden Tree Daisy doesn't have to be planted alone.
Its fine foliage and branching structure can work particularly well alongside broader or differently structured native plants.
Depending on the site, companion plants might include Griselinia, Coprosma, Corokia, Cordyline, Phormium, Chionochloa and other Olearia.
Mixed shelter planting can also create a more natural landscape and reduce reliance on a single species.
The important consideration is that the plants chosen should suit the same site. Wind tolerance alone isn't enough: drainage, frost, soil moisture, coastal exposure and eventual plant size should all be considered.
Planting Golden Tree Daisy for shelter
Good establishment is particularly important with shelter planting because young plants are often being placed directly into the exposed conditions they are ultimately intended to withstand.
Mark the planting line before beginning so spacing remains reasonably consistent.
Remove competing grass and weeds around each planting position. This is particularly important in paddocks and rural situations where established grass can compete strongly with young plants for moisture and nutrients.
Plant at approximately the same depth the plant was growing in its pot and firm the surrounding soil gently.
Water thoroughly after planting.
Mulch can help retain moisture and reduce weed competition, although mulch should not be piled directly against the stems.
Watering during establishment
Golden Tree Daisy is drought tolerant once established, but newly planted plants still require access to moisture.
Their root systems initially occupy little more soil than the pots in which they were grown. Until those roots extend into the surrounding ground, young plants are considerably more vulnerable to prolonged dry periods.
Water thoroughly when planting and provide supplementary water during prolonged dry conditions where necessary.
As the plants establish, their dependence on additional watering reduces considerably.
Weed control matters
For larger shelter projects, weed control can make a surprisingly large difference to establishment speed.
A young Golden Tree Daisy competing directly with established pasture grass may grow much more slowly than the same plant maintained with a clear weed-free establishment zone.
Keeping the planting line reasonably free from grass and weeds during the establishment period reduces competition for both moisture and nutrients.
This is particularly valuable during the first few growing seasons.
Should Golden Tree Daisy shelter be trimmed?
It doesn't have to be.
Where the objective is natural farm shelter, Golden Tree Daisy can largely be allowed to develop its own form.
Occasional trimming may be useful where branches interfere with fences, tracks, buildings or neighbouring areas, but there is no requirement to repeatedly clip the plants into a hedge.
In fact, allowing the shrubs to retain their naturally irregular, layered branching is generally appropriate for this type of shelter.
Where a more controlled residential or lifestyle-block screen is required, the same plants can be lightly trimmed to restrict their overall dimensions.
How much space should be allowed around the shelter?
Don't plan only around the size of the plants when they arrive.
Golden Tree Daisy allowed to develop naturally becomes a broad shrub. Adequate clearance should therefore be provided from fences, tracks, buildings and other infrastructure where mature width could become an issue.
On rural sites, this also makes future fence maintenance easier.
Where stock are present, young plants may require suitable protection during establishment.
How many Golden Tree Daisy plants will I need?
For a simple single-row shelterbelt, plant numbers can be estimated from the total length of the planting line and the chosen spacing.
At approximately 2 metre spacing, allow roughly 5 plants per 10 metres.
At approximately 2.5 metre spacing, allow roughly 4 plants per 10 metres.
At approximately 3 metre spacing, allow roughly 3–4 plants per 10 metres.
These figures are intended for natural shelter planting rather than clipped hedging.
For closer hedge planting, use the separate Greenmachine Golden Tree Daisy hedge spacing guide and hedge calculator.
Shop for Golden Tree Daisy - Shawia Solandri
Golden Tree Daisy shelter on farms and lifestyle blocks
Golden Tree Daisy is particularly useful where shelter needs to fit naturally into the landscape rather than look like a formal suburban hedge.
A loose row beside a paddock, driveway or rural boundary can gradually develop into substantial shelter while still retaining the appearance of individual native shrubs.
Its relatively modest maintenance requirements once established also make it practical for larger properties where regularly clipping hundreds of metres of hedge would be unrealistic.
Golden Tree Daisy shelter for residential properties
The same principle works at a smaller scale around houses.
On an exposed coastal or hill property, Golden Tree Daisy can provide a wind-filtering backdrop to a deck, lawn or outdoor living area.
It can also protect more vulnerable garden planting on the sheltered side.
Where space is more restricted, occasional trimming can keep the shelter within the available area without turning it into a tightly clipped hedge.
Why Golden Tree Daisy works particularly well for shelter
Golden Tree Daisy combines several characteristics that are useful in exposed New Zealand landscapes: fine evergreen foliage, strong wind tolerance, coastal tolerance, frost hardiness, drought tolerance once established and the ability to develop into a substantial shrub.
Just as importantly, it doesn't need intensive maintenance to perform the job.
Plant it with enough room, establish it properly, control competing weeds while young and allow its naturally loose, layered branches to develop. Over time, the individual shrubs begin to overlap and create the broader protective structure that makes Golden Tree Daisy so useful for shelter and shelterbelts.
Golden Tree Daisy – Shawia solandri or Olearia solandri?
Golden Tree Daisy has traditionally been known as Olearia solandri and that name remains widely used in New Zealand horticulture and online searches.
Following botanical revision, the currently accepted name is Shawia solandri.
For that reason Greenmachine uses Golden Tree Daisy predominantly in ordinary language and Shawia solandri as the current botanical name, while retaining references to Olearia solandri so customers familiar with the older name can still readily identify the plant.
For more general information on Golden Tree Daisy see our Complete Golden Tree Daisy growing and planting guide