May 2024

African Daisy is a member of the daisy family with many similarities to its cousins. Like any other member of the aster family, it has symmetrical petals that radiate out from a central eye. Flower petals come in many different colors, from white to deep purple, and can be double, fringed, or spoon-shaped. The centers can be multicolored and different from the flower petals.

This South African native is a relative newcomer to the garden, and it was not available for us gardeners in the 1990s. Although commonly called African Daisy, it is called by its Latin genus Osteospermum because it can get confused with other flowers that are also called African Daisy. Occasionally, it goes by other common names, which include Cape daisy, Cape marigold, blue-eyed daisy, or sunscape daisy.

I sowed Osteopspermum seeds in late January in the BGO greenhouse, and they began to bloom in early April. They were planted in mixed containers near the terrace. I’m expecting them to stay in bloom until early summer when they will shut down with the onset of summer heat. They provide something different for garden planters, and all who see them are sure to ask what they are.

Berni Kurz

Director of Horticulture

Botanical Garden of the Ozarks