Did you know Melbourne has its own golden globes? Meet the common billy buttons – round, yellow, cute-as-a-billy-button blooms that bring sunshine down to earth.

Found across Victoria (except in deserts and near mountains) and much of Australia, these cheerful flowers belong to the Daisy family, with sunflowers, dandelions and the native murnong. Like dandelions, their seeds float on the wind.

Spot them in their golden glory from August to January, where they'll grow 10-50cm tall and 30cm wide. Each ‘button’ is a cluster of about 50 tiny flowers, opening one by one to provide a prolonged feast for pollinators.

Their scientific name, Craspedia variabilis, nods to their versatility – ‘variabilis’ referring to the many forms the species takes across the country. At home, they thrive in well-drained soil, full to partial sun and can be potted. As a dried flower, billy buttons are beloved by florists, retaining their cheery colour and shape for years.

There was once a time where you would have spotted this species in abundant bloom across our grasslands and woodlands – particularly the fertile plains surrounding Batman’s Hill, North Melbourne, Royal Park and Fawkner Park. Nowadays, it’s adding pops of colour to planter boxes on Princes Bridge.

• Plant family: Asteraceae (daisy family). Equal largest family of flowering plants alongside orchids.
• Plant relatives: lettuce, sunflowers, dahlia, chrysanthemum, dandelion.
• Pollinators: insects.
• Floristry use: excellent dried flower that will hold its colour and shape for years.
• Garden conditions: perennial (but can be short-lived). Quick growing and can be treated as an annual. Consistent/regular watering required.
• Propagation: seed. Needs light to germinate seeds.
• Other considerations: looks best mass planted or in meadows. Quite susceptible to slugs, snails and aphids.