shrubby daisybush

Four sources recommend this groundcover, while two Forest Service assessments raise concerns. The Los Angeles State & County Arboretum placed it in Category 2 of four recommended categories, meaning high leaf-moisture capacity of 80–95% under normal garden conditions. The University of California Agricultural Extension Service recommended shrubby daisybush for irrigated hillsides when fuel volume is minimized, plants are watered to their needs, and accumulated litter is removed.

Some of that support comes from compilations rather than direct trials. The University of California Forest Products Laboratory found recommendations from 21 references, but cautioned that underlying lists often lacked scientific basis and used undefined terms. The Diablo Firesafe Council also included the plant among those receiving favorable fire-performance ratings from at least three references.

The Forest Service results keep the favorable rating from being a guarantee. One field trial classified trailing South African daisy as having poor performance on southern California brushland clearings. Another assessment covered low-growing southern California landscape plants, weighing inherent plant flammability alongside ease of fire spread and fuel volume. African daisy received a medium-to-high fire-retardance rating, a mixed result on that source’s scale. Overall, the support is sufficient for a fire-resistant rating, but primary evidence is limited, and the University of California recommendation expressly depends on irrigation, reduced fuel volume, and litter removal.