.jpg)
Perennial of the Asteraceae family, this circumpolar species is native to the arctic and subarctic regions of the northern hemisphere, from the coasts of Alaska and northern Canada to the shores of Siberia, Kamchatka, and northern Japan. It occupies maritime cliffs, pebble beaches, wind-swept coastal heaths, and arctic coastal meadows, from sea level to low altitudes.
It forms low, spreading, rhizomatous clumps, reaching 15 to 40 centimeters in height, with stems often slightly reclining at the base then erect. The leaves are thick, leathery, dark green, and shiny on the upper side, slightly fleshy, cut into rounded lobes, a well-visible adaptive feature to the maritime and windy conditions of its natural habitat.
The flower heads are solitary, large, borne on sturdy stems, with white to slightly pinkish ligules surrounding a bright yellow central disc. The simplicity and clarity of this flower, contrasting with the harshness of the environment it inhabits, is one of the most striking images this species offers to the eye.
In its natural habitat, its blooming extends from August to October, at the end of the season, when most other arctic plants have already fruited.
In cultivation, it tolerates difficult conditions, prefers well-drained, cool soil, in full sun or light partial shade. Hardy and wind-resistant, it is suitable for coastal gardens, marine rockeries, and compositions with a Nordic natural character. It is also the origin of many horticultural hybrids with varied colors.