African Daisies
Some people think that all daisies that come from Africa are African Daisies. While this may be logical, it leads to some confusion when botanists and nurseries talk about African Daisies as a specific species. African Daisies, like other daisies, are in the Asteraceae family, which is the aster family. Their genus is Osteodpermum, which is frequently confused with the genus, Dimorphotheca, even on internet flower sites. The two species were once lumped together but have since been separated into two categories.
While both are daisies from Africa, the African Daisy or genus Osteodpermum is a perennial while the genus Dimorphotheca daisy is an annual. They both open in the morning and close in the evening, but the Dimorphotheca daisy comes in a different range of colors and cannot be grown from cuttings. The Osteodpermum is known as an African Daisy, Cape Daisy, Blue-eyed Daisy, and South African Daisy.
African Daisies are hardy down to a temperature of 30 degrees but will not survive colder winters. That is why, despite the fact that they are perennials, African Daisies are an annual in the farthest northern reaches. The center disk of African Daisies can be the traditional yellow, but it can also be blue or purple. The petals can be white, pink, red, purple or yellow.
African Daisies are easy to grow and they can survive lack of rain and infertile soil. They have won several awards in England. They do their best in soil that is on the acidic side. The leaves are green but with a grayish hue. Most plants are under two feet tall and they bloom from late spring to fall. In some locations, African Daisies can still have flowers in November. In order to have this continuous blooming, it is necessary to pinch off the dead flowers whenever necessary.
There are hybrids of African Daisies which have super-large flowers, up to four inches wide. They can be propagated by either seeds or cuttings. Seeds can be started inside and they usually take around two weeks to germinate. They can be planted outside after the last spring frost. They grow best in temperatures that are 65 degrees and higher. Plants should be ten inches apart when you transplant them into the garden.
African Daisies are relatively free of both pests and diseases. Still, you might spot insects at various times, including thrips, whiteflies, aphids, spider mites or caterpillars. If they become a problem, contact your local county extension agent for treatments in your area. All daisies can be susceptible to stem rots but these usually occur only when the plants have been given too much water.
African Daisies can add a wealth of color to your garden. After their initial spring bloom, they can be counted on to continue to flower throughout the summer months.