Mausummery Seeds — Livingstone Daisy (Mixed Colours)

Mausummery is the flower that stops people on a winter morning walk — a low carpet of glittering daisies in magenta, rose, apricot, orange, cream and white, every one with a bright yellow eye. Botanically it is Cleretum bellidiforme (still widely sold as Mesembryanthemum criniflorum or Dorotheanthus bellidiformis), known in English as the Livingstone Daisy or Ice Plant. The petals carry tiny crystalline cells that catch the light, so the whole plant appears to sparkle in full sun. This is a mixed-colour pack — you get the full range in one sowing.

Growing Guide for Pakistan

• Sowing time: Punjab plains (Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan) October to November; Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Peshawar late September to October; Karachi and coastal Sindh October to December; Murree, Swat and Quetta February to April.
• Method: The seed is very fine and needs light to germinate. Press it onto damp, well-drained soil and leave it uncovered, or give it the barest dusting of fine sand. Never bury it.
• Germination: 14–21 days at around 15–18°C. Water with a spray, not a can, so the seed is not washed away.
• Spacing: Thin or transplant to 15–20 cm apart. Each plant spreads into a mat 20–30 cm wide.
• Height: Only 10–15 cm tall — a carpet, not a border plant.
• Flowering: February to April in the plains, running into May where springs stay cool.
• Sun and water: Full sun, and the more the better. Let the soil dry between waterings. Mausummery is a succulent — it stores water in its leaves and rots in heavy, soggy ground.

Why Mausummery suits Pakistani gardens so well

Most winter annuals want rich soil and steady moisture. This one wants the opposite. It comes from the dry Cape of South Africa, and it is happiest in sandy, sharply drained soil with plenty of sun and not much attention. That makes it one of the few flowers that will thrive along a hot driveway edge, on a south-facing terrace, in a shallow pot, or on a dry bank where nothing else survives. It is genuinely drought tolerant once established, which in Lahore, Multan or Karachi is a real advantage.

The one thing to know before you plant it

Mausummery flowers only open in bright sunshine. On a cloudy day, or in shade, or in the late afternoon, the blooms close up and the plant looks ordinary. This is normal and it is not a fault. Plant it somewhere you actually see at midday — the front strip of a lawn, a rooftop, a terrace, a pot by a sunny window — and it will reward you every clear day of a Pakistani winter.

Where it looks best

• Pots and containers — the spreading habit spills beautifully over a terracotta rim.
• Bed edging — a low ribbon of colour in front of taller stock, antirrhinum or dianthus.
• Rockeries and dry banks — stony, poor soil is exactly what it wants.
• Rooftop gardens — tolerates heat, glare and shallow soil better than almost anything else.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are my mausummery flowers closed?
They open in direct sun and close in cloud, shade and evening. Give the plant at least five to six hours of unobstructed sunlight and they will open every clear day.

Can I grow mausummery in pots?
Yes, and it is one of the best flowers for pots. Use a free-draining mix — garden soil with sand or coco peat added — and make sure the pot has drainage holes.

How much water does it need?
Far less than most winter flowers. Let the top few centimetres dry out between waterings. Overwatering is the commonest way to lose this plant.

Will it come back next year?
It is an annual, so the plant finishes with the spring heat. Let a few plants set seed and you will often get self-sown seedlings the following winter.

Is mausummery the same as ice plant?
Yes. Livingstone Daisy, Ice Plant, Mesembryanthemum and mausummery all refer to this same glittering annual.

New to seed starting? Read what to sow in September in Pakistan and why your seeds are not germinating first.

Germination-tested in Lahore before it reaches you, from a seed house trading since 1932. Pairs beautifully with alyssum, dianthus and phlox from our winter flowering seeds collection.