A daisy from South Africa (Osteospermum)

Member Name: mumsymary

Product:	Osteospermum
Date:	26/07/08 (198 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: pretty summer flower

Disadvantages: none

In June I purchased 4 Osteopernum plants from the market they cost me £.5 for 3. I bought them to perk and cheer up my front garden.

This plant is one of the daisy compositae /asteracea family sometimes called cape daisy / South African daisy
This plant has several different coloured varieties a range of purples reds whites and yellow. Each variety seems to have a name Sunny something one I notice is sunny Mary I have this my namesake in the front garden with sunny Carlos a white one and another whose name I can not remember .
This plant has lots of daisy like flowers with a darker centre. The leaves quite broad are toothed.

As you can guess from this name this plant is a sun lover. This plant grows to about 30 cm tall and will spread about 90 cm making a short mound covered with blooms. This plant has lots of daisy like flowers with a darker centre.
This plant flowers from June throughout the summer. To keep new flowers coming I have dead headed this plant regularly

I have a very chalky soil the plants seem to like this they like a well drained soil. They will like rockeries or a border. I shall water my plants though as this area gets quite dry

Osteospermums are a perennial but are often used like an annual; I shall protect mine from the frosts and see if they will survive till next year. Maybe best to dig hem up and put them in the conservatory to over winter.
Seeds to grow this plant yourself are available at http://www.unwins.co.uk/flower-seeds-cid2.html#pro ds for £2.99 a packet.
It is also possible to take cuttings I shall be trying this later this year.

There is an excellent website http://www.osteospermum.com/ giving lots of info about these flowers.
Have a fun flower filled summer Mary.

Summary: A daisy like flower