Sub-shrub of the Asteraceae family, native to the Drakensberg mountains in South Africa, where it grows at high altitudes, between 2,700 and 3,300 meters, on rocky ridges and well-exposed scree slopes.
It forms a low, dense cushion, woody at the base, 20 to 30 cm in height, with a compact and regular habit. The foliage is one of its most remarkable features: the leaves, deeply divided into narrow segments, are covered with a dense silvery tomentum that gives them a bright silver-gray color, persisting throughout the year.
The flower heads are solitary, borne on short stems slightly exceeding the foliage, with ligules of a bright and intense yellow and a golden-yellow center. The contrast between the silvery foliage and the bright yellow flowers is particularly striking. In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from December to February, which corresponds to the austral summer. In cultivation in the northern hemisphere, it generally blooms from May to July.
In cultivation, it requires perfect drainage, a poor to moderately fertile, mineral soil, in full sun. It tolerates dry cold but fears stagnant moisture in winter. Hardy to about -12°C in well-drained soil.