Osteospermum
Osteospermum ecklonis and hybrids
Osteospermums are bushy plants with daisy flowers in white, purple, pink and yellow, often with a blue centre. They flower most freely in cool, sunny weather and are popular in pots and borders.
Photo: Terragio67 · CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Essential Care Requirements
Light
Full sun
Watering
Moderate
Water when the top of the soil is dry.
Soil
Well-drained soil; pH 6.0–7.5.
Temperature and humidity
-3–32 °C · Low humidity
Feeding
Feed every two weeks with a balanced liquid fertilizer.
Pruning and propagation
Propagate by stem cuttings, seed
Deadhead and trim lightly to keep it bushy.
Osteospermums are not toxic.
Top Cultivation Tips
Flowering pauses in heat and resumes as it cools.
Grow in winter in hot climates.
Take cuttings in late summer.
Flowers close at night and in cloud.
Common problems
Aphids
Small, soft-bodied insects that cluster on new shoots and buds, sucking sap and leaving sticky honeydew behind.
How to treat it →DiseaseGrey mould
A fungal rot that covers flowers, fruit and soft stems with fuzzy grey mould in cool, damp conditions.
How to treat it →DiseaseRoot rot
Roots decay in waterlogged soil, so the plant wilts and yellows even though the soil is wet.
How to treat it →
