Africa is home to an extraordinary diversity of plants in the daisy family (Asteraceae), including colorful annuals, perennials, and flowering subshrubs. Southern Africa is particularly rich in daisy-like species, with familiar garden plants such as Osteospermum, Arctotis, Dimorphotheca, Gazania, Felicia, Ursinia, and Gerbera originating in the region.

In this guide, you’ll discover nine striking daisies native to Africa, along with their botanical names, native ranges, flower characteristics, growth habits, bloom seasons, and best garden uses.

Flower Lovers Want to Know

What flowers are commonly called African daisies?

“African daisy” is a common name applied to several African members of the Asteraceae family, particularly Osteospermum, Arctotis, and Dimorphotheca. It does not refer to a single species or genus.

Are African daisies native to Africa?

Yes. Many plants called African daisies are native to Africa, particularly southern Africa. Their exact native ranges vary by species.

Are African daisies and Osteospermum the same thing?

Not exactly. Osteospermum is commonly called African daisy or Cape daisy, but these common names are also used for plants in other genera, including Arctotis and Dimorphotheca.

What daisies are native to South Africa?

Examples featured in this guide include Cape marguerite (Dimorphotheca ecklonis), blue-eyed daisy (Arctotis stoechadifolia), African daisy (Dimorphotheca sinuata), gazania (Gazania rigens), blue marguerite (Felicia amelloides), Namaqualand arctotis (Arctotis fastuosa), beetle daisy (Gorteria diffusa), Namaqua parachute daisy (Ursinia calenduliflora), and gerbera daisy (Gerbera jamesonii).

What is the difference between Osteospermum and Dimorphotheca?

Osteospermum and Dimorphotheca are separate but closely related genera in the Asteraceae family. Many Osteospermum species are perennials or subshrubs, while Dimorphotheca includes annual species commonly grown for their colorful flowers.

Are African daisies annuals or perennials?

Both. Depending on the species, African daisies may be annuals, perennials, or subshrubs. Some perennial species are also grown as annuals in colder climates.

What conditions do African daisies grow best in?

Many grow best in full sun and well-drained soil, although their water, temperature, and soil requirements vary by species. Check the needs of the particular plant rather than relying on the common name alone.

9 Stunning Daisies Native to Africa

From colorful annual wildflowers to spreading perennials and flowering subshrubs, here are nine stunning daisies native to Africa and the characteristics that make each one distinctive.

What Are African Daisies?

The term “African daisy” does not refer to a single species or botanical genus. Instead, it is a common horticultural name used for several daisy-like flowering plants native to Africa, particularly southern Africa.

These plants belong to the Asteraceae family, commonly known as the daisy, aster, or sunflower family. What appears to be a single daisy flower is actually a flower head made up of many small individual flowers, or florets. Many species have central disc florets surrounded by larger ray florets that resemble petals.

Several African genera contain plants commonly described or sold as African daisies, including Osteospermum, Arctotis, and Dimorphotheca. Other African members of Asteraceae, such as Gazania, Ursinia, and Gerbera, also produce distinctive daisy-like flower heads and are included in this guide.

Common names can make identification confusing. Terms such as African daisy, Cape daisy, Cape marguerite, and Cape marigold may be applied to different plants depending on the species, cultivar, or region. For accurate identification, the botanical name is therefore more reliable than the common name.

Although these plants share the characteristic flower-head structure of the daisy family, they can differ considerably in size, flower color, growth habit, native range, bloom season, and growing requirements. The daisies below highlight some of this remarkable diversity.

African Daisies in This Guide

African daisies offer much more variety than the common name suggests. The species below range from low-growing annual wildflowers to spreading perennials and flowering subshrubs, each with its own native range and distinctive characteristics.

1. Cape Marguerite (Dimorphotheca ecklonis, syn. Osteospermum ecklonis)

Cape marguerite is one of the best-known plants commonly called an African daisy. Native to the Cape Provinces of South Africa, it develops a bushy growth habit and produces showy daisy-like flower heads. Garden selections are available in shades of white, pink, purple, and other colors, often with contrasting centers.

Plants perform best in sunny locations with well-drained soil. Their colorful flowers work particularly well in borders, containers, and mixed seasonal displays.

Native range: Cape Provinces, South Africa
Flower color: White, pink, purple, and other colors in cultivated selections
Growth habit: Bushy subshrub or shrub
Bloom season: Primarily spring through the warmer growing season, depending on climate and cultivar
Sun: Full sun
Best garden use: Containers, borders, mixed beds

2. Blue-Eyed Daisy (Arctotis stoechadifolia)

Arctotis stoechadifolia is a perennial daisy native to the Western Cape of South Africa. Its daisy-like flower heads rise above silvery to gray-green foliage, giving the plant ornamental value even when it is not in full bloom.

This species favors sunny, well-drained conditions and is well suited to gardens where its spreading growth and contrasting foliage can be appreciated. Like other Arctotis, it is particularly attractive in informal, Mediterranean-style, and water-wise plantings.

Native range: Western Cape, South Africa
Flower color: Typically pale or whitish ray florets with a contrasting center
Growth habit: Spreading perennial
Bloom season: Mainly during the warmer growing season
Sun: Full sun
Best garden use: Sunny borders, slopes, Mediterranean-style gardens

3. African Daisy (Dimorphotheca sinuata)

African daisy (Dimorphotheca sinuata, formerly Dimorphotheca aurantiaca) is a colorful annual native to Namibia and South Africa. It produces bright daisy-like flowers, commonly in shades of yellow and orange, although cultivated selections are available in additional colors.

The flowers open most fully in bright sunlight, creating vivid seasonal displays. Plants perform best in full sun and well-drained soil and are particularly effective when grown in groups in borders, wildflower gardens, or mass plantings. The flowers can also attract butterflies and other pollinating insects.

Native range: Namibia and South Africa
Flower color: Yellow to orange; additional colors in cultivated selections
Growth habit: Branching annual
Bloom season: Primarily spring
Sun: Full sun
Best garden use: Wildflower gardens, borders, mass planting

4. Gazania (Gazania rigens)

Gazania rigens is a perennial or subshrub native to parts of southern Africa, including South Africa, Eswatini, and Mozambique. It is valued in gardens for its large, brightly colored flower heads and relatively low-growing habit.

Cultivated gazanias are available in striking shades of yellow, orange, red, pink, white, and multicolored combinations. The flowers are especially showy in bright sunlight, making gazanias useful for exposed, sunny planting sites.

Native range: Southern Africa, including parts of South Africa, Eswatini, and Mozambique
Flower color: Yellow, orange, red, pink, white, and multicolored cultivars
Growth habit: Low-growing perennial or subshrub
Bloom season: Spring through the warmer months, depending on climate
Sun: Full sun
Best garden use: Edging, containers, sunny borders, ground-level color

5. Blue Marguerite (Felicia amelloides)

Blue marguerite (Felicia amelloides) is a bushy perennial native to the Cape Provinces of South Africa. It is especially distinctive for its sky-blue daisy-like flower heads, which have bright yellow centers and rise above green foliage on slender stalks.

Plants can reach about 3 feet (1 m) tall under favorable conditions and naturally occur in habitats ranging from coastal sand dunes and sandy flats to rocky slopes and hillsides. In gardens, blue marguerite performs best in full sun with well-drained soil and moderate watering.

Its unusual blue flowers make it an attractive choice for sunny borders and mixed plantings, where it provides a strong contrast to yellow, orange, and white flowers.

Native range: Cape Provinces, South Africa
Flower color: Sky blue with yellow centers
Growth habit: Bushy perennial, up to about 3 feet tall
Bloom season: Can flower over a long period in suitable mild climates
Sun: Full sun
Best garden use: Borders, mixed beds, coastal gardens

6. Namaqualand Arctotis (Arctotis fastuosa)

Namaqualand arctotis (Arctotis fastuosa) is a colorful annual native to the dry regions of western South Africa. It produces large daisy-like flower heads, usually in shades of orange, with a distinctive dark ring surrounding the center. Yellow-orange, reddish-orange, and cream-colored forms also occur naturally.

Plants have branching stems and soft, gray-green foliage covered with fine hairs. Their size varies with available moisture, but under favorable conditions they can reach about 24 inches (60 cm) tall.

In its native habitat, Arctotis fastuosa germinates following winter rains and produces spectacular spring displays. The flowers open best in bright sunshine and attract visiting bees.

Native range: Cape Provinces, South Africa
Flower color: Orange, reddish-orange, yellow-orange, or cream, often with a dark central ring
Growth habit: Fast-growing branching annual, up to about 24 inches tall
Bloom season: Primarily spring in its native range
Sun: Full sun
Best garden use: Mass plantings, wildflower gardens, gravel gardens, containers

7. Beetle Daisy (Gorteria diffusa)

Beetle daisy (Gorteria diffusa) is a distinctive annual native to Namibia and western parts of South Africa. Its orange daisy-like flower heads are decorated with dark, glossy markings near the base of the ray florets, giving the flowers an unusually intricate appearance.

These markings are more than ornamental. They can resemble insects and play a role in attracting bee flies that pollinate the flowers. Beetle daisy has a low, spreading growth habit and naturally occurs in dry, sunny habitats with sandy, clay, or stony soils.

In its native range, the species grows during the winter-rainfall season and flowers from winter into spring. It can be challenging to cultivate because it is sensitive to excessive moisture and humidity, making excellent drainage particularly important.

Native range: Namibia and western South Africa
Flower color: Orange with dark, glossy markings
Growth habit: Low-growing, spreading annual
Bloom season: Winter to spring in its native range
Sun: Full sun
Best garden use: Rock gardens, gritty containers, seasonal displays

8. Namaqua Parachute Daisy (Ursinia calenduliflora)

Namaqua parachute daisy (Ursinia calenduliflora) is a colorful annual native to Namaqualand in the Northern Cape of South Africa. It produces bright orange-yellow daisy-like flower heads on slender stems above finely divided green foliage.

Some flowers develop a distinctive ring of dark purple markings around the yellow center, adding contrast to the bright ray florets. Plants can reach about 14 inches (35 cm) tall and naturally grow on rocky slopes with sandy, well-drained soil.

In its native range, Ursinia calenduliflora grows during the winter-rainfall season and flowers from winter into spring. In colder climates, it can instead be grown as a warm-season annual by sowing seed in spring after the danger of frost has passed.

Native range: Namaqualand, Northern Cape, South Africa
Flower color: Orange-yellow, sometimes with dark purple markings
Growth habit: Upright annual, up to about 14 inches tall
Bloom season: Winter to spring in its native range
Sun: Full sun
Best garden use: Mass plantings, rock gardens, borders, seasonal displays

9. Gerbera Daisy (Gerbera jamesonii)

Gerbera daisy (Gerbera jamesonii) is a perennial member of the Asteraceae family native to parts of northeastern South Africa and Eswatini. Unlike Osteospermum and Dimorphotheca, it develops a basal rosette of foliage with large flower heads carried individually on upright stems.

Cultivated gerberas are famous for their wide range of vivid flower colors and are grown both as ornamental garden plants and as cut flowers. Their bold flower heads also make them attractive container specimens.

Native range: Northeastern South Africa and Eswatini
Flower color: Red, orange, yellow, pink, white, and numerous cultivated shades
Growth habit: Rosette-forming perennial
Bloom season: Primarily during active warm-season growth; timing varies with climate
Sun: Full sun to light shade, depending on climate
Best garden use: Containers, borders, cutting gardens

Growing Different Types of African Daisies

Although many of these plants are described as African daisies, they should not all be grown in exactly the same way. They belong to different genera and include annuals, perennials, and subshrubs, each with its own requirements.

Full sun and well-drained soil are good starting points for many commonly cultivated African daisies, but water, temperature, soil, and seasonal requirements can vary. Dimorphotheca sinuata, for example, is an annual, while Arctotis stoechadifolia is a perennial and Gazania rigens may grow as a perennial or subshrub in suitable climates.

Climate also influences flowering. Some African daisies perform particularly well during mild spring weather, while others continue flowering through warmer periods. Plants grown outside their preferred climate may also be treated as annuals even when they are perennial in their native range.

For the best results, identify the genus, species, and cultivar rather than relying only on names such as “African daisy” or “Cape daisy.” This makes it much easier to provide the appropriate sunlight, water, soil, and seasonal care.

Final Sprouts of Wisdom

Daisies native to Africa offer remarkable variety, from the vivid orange and yellow flowers of Dimorphotheca to the sky-blue blooms of Felicia and the familiar cut flowers of Gerbera. Their different flower forms, growth habits, and native ranges highlight the remarkable diversity found within the Asteraceae family.

Whether you’re looking for seasonal color, a container plant, a pollinator-friendly addition, or an unusual flower for a sunny border, these African daisies offer options for a range of garden styles and growing conditions. When choosing a plant, check the botanical name rather than relying on common names such as African daisy or Cape daisy, which may refer to several different species.

 

Similar Posts

Low-Maintenance Flowers for Beginners — Easy-to-Grow Choices for a Beautiful Garden

 

all images from Canva