Description:
Osteospermum is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the Calenduleae, one of the smaller tribes of the sunflower daisy family Asteraceae.
Osteospermum, or African daisies made a big splash in display gardens in the 1990s. They looked a little like daisies and they are in the Asteraceae family, along with Shasta daisies and zinnia. But when African daisies were first introduced to the market, they had coloring we weren't used to seeing. Many of they center disks looked as though they were colored with metallic paint.
Versatile and resilient, hardy Osteospermums will thrive in hot, dry, neglected conditions, yet remain some of longest-flowering plants in the garden. Expect vibrant summer colour and weed suppressing ground cover from these easy to grow, sun loving Cape Daisies.
© 2015 Clare Bevan