I was at the South Carolina Botanical Garden yesterday for a meeting of the Foothills Master Gardeners and saw a flowering plant covered in bees that has defied identification.
Here’s what it looked like in the garden…
And here’s a small cutting I brought home with me for identification purposes…
The color in the second pic is better, as the rays are a light buttery yellow, not white as they appear in the garden photo.
Most likely, it is a hybrid or cultivar of Ajania pacifica, previously Chrysanthemum pacificum and commonly known as gold and silver chrysanthemum. But Ajania pacifica has button-like flowers without rays, and is typically smaller than this plant which (if my memory is correct) stood about 16-inches tall. Leaves of the mystery plant do, however, have the woolly white undersides characteristic of Ajania.
If you have a clue, I would love to know its name.
Hortitopia 
It looks like what I know as Chrysanthemum x marginatum. Sorry I haven’ t got to grips with the new name yet. I hope you are going to try and root it.
Chloris–your suggestion is closer than anything else I’ve found, except the rays on the mystery plant are yellow. I will not try to root it myself, but I’m delivering it to a friend this afternoon who is more successful at propagation than I am.
Snow Dome, maybe?
http://www.plantdelights.com/Chrysanthemum-Snow-Dome-for-sale/Buy-Shasta-Daisy/
Alice–Close but I dont’ think so. Mystery plant has thin, yellow rays.
Hadn’t heard of this before but your ID looks accurate. It’s an eye-catcher.
I’ve heard it called evergreen variegated mum. A florist was using it in a floral arrangement demo one time at SE Flower Show.
Susan–That’s interesting. Usually variegation refers to the foliage. Hmmm…
I have it… Botanical name in my computer database!
Marian, like you, I immediately thought of Chrysanthemum – OOPS! – Ajania pacifica (um)…I remember several years ago coming across an image very like yours with the C. p. attribution. But I suspect in that earlier discovery that it may have in fact been a hybrid, and I have come across another Ajania pacifica x Dendranthema sp hybrid, called Pink Ice. Since yours displays the silvery back, I’d go with the A. x D. hybrid as likely. Quite nice.
Close to this??? http://www.plantdelights.com/Chrysanthemum-pacificum-Pink-Ice-for-sale/Buy-Gold-Feverfew/
Terry Gentry
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I, too, would have guessed Chrysanthemum… something… because of the leaves, but have never seen this before. Cute as a button!
Please let us know when you identify it!
I’d have been guessing along the lines of Chrysanthemum and I’m pleased that others have agreed. Good luck on finding a name for it. It’s rather pretty.
Marian, It reminds me of feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium), but I have never seen a variety with such slender rays. The leaves really look like feverfew.
MHM
BTW, I’m sure you’ve contacted the staff at the Botanic Garden, but I thought I’d mention it just in case. Be sure to post here with any major discoveries!
Will–Yes, they are looking. Thanks!
Cannot help, Marion. But if it is a cousin of C. pacificum, it may share its invasive qualities. It really “travelled” in my CH garden.
In Tony Avant’s description for the ‘Snow Dome’, it mentions a “group” of new hybrids.
“Chrysanthemum ‘Snow Dome’, our favorite of the new group of hybrids between garden mums and Chrysanthemum pacificum (aka: ajania). This superb selection, thanks to genetics from NC’s Richard Hayes, makes an unbelievable tight dome of cutleaf, silver-backed foliage that forms a perfect 15″ tall x 2′ wide mound.. ”
This could be another one of the group. Perhaps Richard Hayes could solve the mystery. Marian, do you know him?
adm
I have no clue at all. Pretty, though.
I would love to know the name of this chrysanthemum once you have determined your information. Thanks GGMG member
It does remind me of the Ajania pacifica, I recently purchased at Home Depot.
The leaves seem to have a slight white rim. My flowers haven’t totally opened
yet. The picture on the tag doesn’t show the lighter yellow but I’ll keep an eye
on my plant.