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A perennial of the Asteraceae family, Hertia cheirifolia is native to the Maghreb, where it grows on rocky slopes, arid garrigues, and coastal cliffs of North Africa, mainly in Algeria and Tunisia. It thrives on well-drained, dry to very dry calcareous substrates, in full exposure.
It forms sprawling and dense bushy clumps, 20 to 40 cm in height, with woody stems at the base. What immediately strikes is its foliage: the leaves are thick, fleshy, obovate to spatulate, with a strong silvery gray-blue color, arranged in rosettes along the stems in a very tight manner. This glaucous, almost mineral hue is one of the plant's most immediately appealing features, even before its flowering.
The capitula are solitary, borne by erect peduncles that emerge from the foliage, with ligules of a bright and clear yellow, with an orange heart, strikingly contrasting with the gray foliage. In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from March to May. In cultivation under our climates, it generally blooms from April to June.
It requires a very well-drained, poor soil, in full sun, and perfectly withstands summer drought. It resists moderate frosts but fears prolonged winter humidity. An excellent plant for rock gardens, walls, and Mediterranean dry gardens.