African Daisy (Arctotis): How to Grow and Care for It

African daisy is a name shared by three different plants, and this guide is about Arctotis — the South African daisy with lobed, woolly, silvery-green leaves whose flowers open in bright sun and close again at night. Arctotis is a cool-weather flower for dry, sunny ground: sow the seed indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost, set the plants out in loose, free-draining soil at 12-inch spacing, water them while they settle in, and deadhead them often. In return it flowers from spring into early summer and asks for almost nothing else. If you are planning a whole bed of cool-season colour, our guide to winter flower seeds lists more flowers that enjoy the same conditions.

What is the African daisy (Arctotis)?

Arctotis is a genus of about 50 species of annuals and tender perennials native to South Africa, grown for daisy-like flowers that usually carry a contrasting ring around the central eye. The plants grow as low rosettes of grey- to silvery-green foliage and typically reach 6–24 inches (15–61 cm) tall and 6–18 inches (15–45 cm) wide, and they belong to the daisy family, Asteraceae. Garden hybrids flower in white, pink, red, purplish and cream, while some species carry extra names — Arctotis revoluta, for example, is also called the Cape lotus or South African daisy and has white petals around a yellow centre. All of them share the habit of folding their flowers shut at night and in dull weather, and because they come from dry South African country they are built for sun, lean soil and dry spells rather than rich, wet ground.

Which African daisy do you have?

Look at the leaves first: lobed, woolly leaves mean Arctotis, and this guide is written for your plant. Smooth green leaves point to Dimorphotheca, and a shrubby plant with white and blue flowers is Osteospermum — a different plant with different needs, which is why care advice copied from the wrong “African daisy” so often fails. One practical difference is water: Osteospermum, for instance, is not as drought-tolerant as Arctotis, so watering an Arctotis on an Osteospermum schedule can rot it. Seed packets and plant labels cause much of the confusion, because all three are sold under the same common name, so use the table below to place your plant before following any growing advice — and note that everything after this section covers Arctotis only.

Where does Arctotis grow best?

Arctotis grows best in full sun, in loose, well-drained, sandy or gravelly soil, through the cool-to-mild part of the year. Give it a bright spot: a little shade is tolerated, but too much shade produces poor growth and few flowers. Heat and humidity are its real enemies — it does not tolerate them well, it may stop blooming in very warm, humid weather or after a sudden chill, and high humidity encourages fungal disease. Cold is the other limit: Arctotis is not frost-tolerant, so outside frost-free areas — roughly USDA zones 9–11 for perennial species such as A. revoluta — it is grown as an annual. A soil pH between 6.0 and 7.0 suits it, and heavy, wet soil is the fastest way to kill it. Like clarkia, it does its best work in cool weather rather than in high summer.

How to sow and plant African daisy

Sow Arctotis seed indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost, and barely cover it, so the seed sits just under the surface. Kept at 60–70°F (15.6–21°C), it germinates in about 7–14 days. When the seedlings are large enough to handle, move each one into its own pot, then set the plants out after the last frost. Seed can also be sown outdoors after the last frost, once the soil has warmed, and where winters are frost-free, plants can be set out in winter instead; established seedlings go out in early spring in cooler zones and in late fall in warmer ones. Bought bedding plants can simply be planted out in spring.

• Sow indoors 6–8 weeks before the last frost; barely cover the seed.
• Keep the tray at 60–70°F (15.6–21°C); expect germination in 7–14 days.
• Pot seedlings on individually when they are large enough to handle.
• Set plants out after the last frost, 12 in (30 cm) or more apart, in full sun.
• Water in well and keep the soil evenly moist while the plants establish.

Caring for Arctotis through the season

Once established, Arctotis is a low-care plant: keep the soil evenly moist while young plants settle in, then ease off — established plants withstand drought, and roots left waterlogged will rot. It is the opposite of the monkey flower, which wants its soil constantly wet. Feed lightly, if at all; reserve a liquid organic feed for plants blooming heavily or growing in pots — potted plants in active growth can be fed about every two weeks, easing off in winter — and mulch around the plants to conserve moisture. Deadhead often, because regular deadheading is what keeps new flowers coming, and expect the strongest display in the plant’s first year. In frost-free gardens, prune A. revoluta back in winter to promote spring growth. Do not worry if the flowers fold shut at night or on cloudy days; that is normal Arctotis behaviour. Other easy annuals covered on this site include cosmos.

Propagating Arctotis: why cuttings beat seed

Cuttings taken in spring or fall are the best way to multiply an Arctotis plant, because they give you an exact copy of a plant whose colour you already like — for named hybrids and the varieties below, cuttings are also the only route that keeps the variety true. Seed is less faithful: in warm climates Arctotis reseeds itself freely, but the seedlings tend to revert to orange, whatever colour the parent flowers were. Seed-saving still has its place — seed can be saved from spent blossoms and sown the following season after the first frost in warm climates — but sow it where a drift of mostly orange flowers will please you rather than disappoint you.

African daisy problems and fixes

Almost every Arctotis problem traces back to wet soil or humid air. Root rot in wet, heavy soil is the main killer, so prevent it with sharp drainage and by never leaving plants waterlogged. Powdery mildew can appear on older plants, and high humidity encourages fungal disease in general. The usual pests are aphids, slugs and snails, and A. revoluta can also pick up spider mites and whiteflies. A plant that stops flowering in a heat wave has usually not died — check the weather before reaching for the watering can, because heat, humidity or a sudden chill can all pause blooming, and individual flowers also stay shut on dark, cloudy days and reopen when the sun returns.

Arctotis varieties to try

Start with the hybrids if you want the widest colour range: garden Arctotis hybrids grow 12–18 inches tall and flower in white, pink, red, purplish and cream. ‘Monarch of the Veldt’, a form of A. fastuosa, is taller, at 12–24 inches, and stands out for its silver-white foliage as much as for its flowers. The blue-eyed African daisy, A. venusta, reaches about 24 inches and has grey-green, slightly hairy leaves, while for frost-free gardens A. revoluta is the perennial option, with white petals around a yellow centre. Another sun-loving daisy for dry beds is acroclinium, the everlasting daisy.

Frequently asked questions

How do you grow African daisies from seed?

Sow indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost, barely covering the seed, and keep it at 60–70°F (15.6–21°C) — germination takes about 7–14 days. Pot the seedlings on individually, plant them out after the last frost at 12-inch spacing, or sow outdoors once the soil has warmed.

Do African daisies come back every year?

Only where winters are frost-free: Arctotis is a tender perennial in mild areas (zones 9–11 for A. revoluta) and is grown as an annual everywhere else. In warm climates it often reseeds itself, although the seedlings tend to revert to orange.

How do you take care of African daisies?

Give them full sun and free-draining soil, keep the soil evenly moist while they establish and then water sparingly, feed lightly if at all, mulch to conserve moisture, and deadhead often to keep the flowers coming.

Are African daisies easy to grow?

Yes — Arctotis is an easy, low-maintenance flower as long as you match its climate. Sun, sharp drainage and cool-to-mild weather are all it asks; heat, humidity and wet soil are the three things that defeat it.

Why has my African daisy stopped flowering?

Very warm, humid weather or a sudden chill can pause blooming until conditions improve, so check the weather first. Individual flowers also close at night and on cloudy or rainy days, and reopen in bright sun — that closing is normal, not a problem.