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All hail Melbourne’s new floral emblem – the swamp everlasting – a bloom that’s captured our hearts and our votes.
This golden paper daisy, Xerochrysum palustre (from the Greek words xero = dry and chrysos = gold, and the Latin palus = swamp), will now shine as a symbol of our garden city. After nearly 25,000 Melburnians cast their vote in an enthusiastic community campaign, the swamp everlasting overtook the billy button after trailing for most of the count, winning by a margin of just 200 votes.
The swamp everlasting will become a flower that instantly says ‘Melbourne’ as it gets woven into the city’s identity. Plantings will roll out across parks and gardens, and when in flower, it will feature in planter boxes outside Melbourne Town Hall. Seasonal community planting days will help this native flower re-establish itself. The bloom will also appear in paint, in print and perhaps even on Melbourne merch – a golden emblem of the city.
Highly endangered yet remarkably resilient, this wetland wonder is more than a beautiful bloom – it’s a powerful reminder to care for our habitat. Flowering from November to March, the swamp everlasting provides a vital food source for native bees and butterflies. Its layered yellow bracts – often mistaken for petals – give the paper daisy its signature ‘everlasting’ quality. At the centre, tiny florets open gradually over many days, creating a feast for pollinators. It’s also beloved as a cut flower; picked fresh, the blooms retain their vibrant colour for months on end.
Despite its toughness, the swamp everlasting is critically endangered in Victoria and is the highest priority species in the city’s Threatened Species Living Collection Plan, developed with Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. The land on which Melbourne now stands was once rich with wetlands and billabongs, particularly around the Yarra River (Birrarung) and Moonee Ponds Creek. As these waterways have diminished through clearing and climate change, so too has this remarkable flower.
Yet there’s hope and everyone can do their bit. How about planting swamp everlastings in your backyard or even on your balcony in a pot? It thrives in full sun with consistent watering, and will reward you with bright blooms for years.
More than just a flower, the swamp everlasting tells a story of resilience – of thriving against the odds and enduring through change. Everlasting, indeed – just like Melbourne.
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