New Zealand brass buttons

New Zealand brass buttons: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Low, creeping and mat-forming, 2–5 cm tall and up to 40 cm wide (and more), with surface runners.

Leaves

Finely cut and fern-like, 2–5 cm long, dark green; bronze to blackish-brown in ‘Platt’s Black’.

Flower

Small, button-like, yellowish-green heads 5–8 mm across, in May and June, not very showy.

Evergreen

The leaves stay on the plant all year, although they may turn brown in hard frost.

Roots

Shallow, rooting along the stems: every piece with roots will carry on growing.

Flowering: May–June · Plants: March–May and September · Pruning: April

Why grow it?

• A dense, evergreen mat that suppresses weeds and looks good all year.
• Tolerates light foot traffic: ideal between stepping stones and paving.
• The fine, fern-like foliage gives a soft, calm texture.
• Suits a rock garden, pots and use as ground cover in sun or partial shade.
• The dark-leaved ‘Platt’s Black’ makes a lovely contrast with pale foliage or gravel.

New Zealand brass buttons: where does it grow best?

• Sun to partial shade; in full sun it needs water in dry spells.
• Humus-rich, well-drained soil: sand or loam, acid to neutral.
• Reasonably moist; it dries out quickly but dislikes wet feet.
• Allow 25–30 cm per plant; the mat closes up after a year or two.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand or loam

Acidity

Acid or neutral

Moisture

Normal

Size

0.05 m tall, 0.4 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -20 °C)

Goes well with

• Ornamental grasses: Fine grass above the flat mat gives contrast in height.
• Hosta: Broad leaves beside the fine, fern-like foliage.
• Saxifrage: A small, flowering plant for the rock garden.
• Stonecrop: Drought tolerant, it suits the same rock garden or gaps between stones.
• Lavender: A grey, scented neighbour beside the green mat.

New Zealand brass buttons: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–May and September.

1. Plant between March and May or in September, when the soil is neither frozen nor waterlogged.
2. Loosen the soil, remove weeds and work in a little compost.
3. Set the plants at the same depth as in their pots and firm the soil well.
4. Leave 25–30 cm between plants; between stepping stones, plant them just beside the stones.
5. Water thoroughly straight away and keep the soil moist during the first year.
6. A thin layer of compost or fine grit around the plants keeps weeds down until the mat has closed.

Care

Water

Water regularly during the first year. After that only in long dry spells: the roots are shallow and the mat dries out quickly.

Feeding

A thin layer of compost or a light dose of organic feed in spring. Too much feed gives soft growth.

Weeding

Weed until the mat has closed up; after that it suppresses weeds itself.

Foot traffic

Light treading is fine. Under heavy use the mat deteriorates.

Containing

Cut the edges with a spade to stop it growing into the lawn or border.

Tip: Plant it between stepping stones and in spots where you do not want to weed. Trim the edges every year so it stays where you want it.

New Zealand brass buttons: when to prune it?

Pruning months: April.

When: In April, when growth gets going.

How:

• Cut off brown patches damaged by winter with scissors or a trimmer.
• A light trim with hedge shears or grass shears keeps the mat dense and neat.
• Remove spent flower heads only if you find them bothersome.
• In autumn, clear fallen leaves off the mat so the foliage does not rot.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Division

Throughout the growing season, best in March–May: pull a piece of the mat away with roots and plant it elsewhere. Water well.

Cuttings

Cut off rooted stem pieces and plant them straight away; they grow on quickly.

New Zealand brass buttons: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −20 °C.

• Hardy to about −20 °C: in an ordinary Belgian winter it stays green or recovers quickly.
• In a hard winter the foliage may turn brown; cut it off in April and the mat will regrow.
• In a pot: stand the pot in a sheltered spot and protect it from prolonged frost with hessian or bubble wrap.

Diseases and pests

• Brown patches: Caused by drought or hard frost. Water, cut off the brown foliage and wait: the mat recovers.
• Spreading: The plant creeps into neighbouring plants, paths or the lawn. Trim the edges every year.
• Slugs: Occasional slug damage in spring. Collect them in the evening.
• Rot: In wet, heavy soil the stems rot. Mix sand or grit into the soil and ensure drainage.

Through the year

• March: Plant or divide. Apply compost.
• April: Cut off brown foliage. Weed.
• May: Plant. Flowering begins, small buttons.
• June: Flowering. Water in dry spells.
• July: Growth. Water in long dry spells.
• August: Water in dry spells. Trim the edges.
• September: Plant or divide. Clear fallen leaves off the mat.
• November: Rest. The mat stays green unless it freezes hard.

Did you know?

• The genus name Leptinella comes from the Greek ‘leptos’, meaning ‘fine’ or ‘thin’, after its fine foliage.
• The flower heads look like little buttons, which is why the plant is called ‘brass buttons’ in English.
• The plant belongs to the daisy family, like the lawn daisy and the oxeye daisy.