African Daisy or Cape Marigold

The African Daisy or Cape Marigold are commonly called by their fancy name “Osteospermum”. You commonly find these plants in the greenhouses coming mainly in yellow and purple but many colors in between. They make for great plants in containers. You must dead head these to keep them flowering all summer long.

This white one I grew from seed is a “wilder form” which should be hardier to wind and heat. The white bloom and shiny purple center are reminiscent of the true roots of this plant. The flower opens on sunny days and closes on cloudy days or at night. The newer varieties stay open more.

Whether grown in a container or ground, African Daisy needs a little water and some fertilizer and that is all. Too much water creates leggy, weak plants.

The plants where brought to Europe and America in the 19^th century.