Illustration
African Daisy
Osteospermum
African Daisy blooms from April through June.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing African Daisy
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 9–11. Expect it to reach about 12 in tall and 12 in wide at maturity, in roughly 1 year (not yet checked).
No toxicity note is on file for African Daisy. That is not a clearance: check its safety for people and pets before planting.
What was checked
Mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not, and each fact above says which. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant African Daisy
Wait until all danger of frost has passed, then plant out African Daisy into warm soil; in most zones that means late spring. It flowers from April to June.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 9, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 9 in February. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does African Daisy get?
12 intall5 ft 7 inan adult12 inwideSee African Daisy in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant African Daisy
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space African Daisy about 12 in apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add African Daisy to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
African Daisy's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags were checked against 4 published sources on July 30, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- Missouri Botanical GardenPlant Finder (Osteospermum (group), the genus-wide African daisy entry)height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Missouri Botanical GardenOsteospermum 'Wildside'height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Proven WinnersOsteospermum 4D African Daisy, the breeder's own pageheight, spread, sun and trait tags
- Proven WinnersOsteospermum Bright Lights Purple, the breeder's own pageheight, spread and sun
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Comes in 5 colors
Same genus, similar care - pick the color you are growing.
Compare every color in the African Daisy group
Every figure is the color's own page fact. Tap a name to open it.
| Name | Color | Blooms | Hardiness | Sun | Size (H × W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Africanthis page | Purple | Apr–Jun | Zones 9–11 | Full sun | 12 in × 12 in |
| Lavender | Purple | Apr–Jun | Zones 9–11 | Full sun | 12 in × 12 in |
| Lemon | Yellow | Apr–Jun | Zones 9–11 | Full sun | 12 in × 12 in |
| Orange | Orange | Apr–Jun | Zones 9–11 | Full sun | 12 in × 12 in |
| Pink | Pink | Apr–Jun | Zones 9–11 | Full sun | 12 in × 12 in |
| White | White | Apr–Jun | Zones 9–11 | Full sun | 12 in × 12 in |
Good to know about African Daisy
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
Worth knowing
The flowers close up at night and in cloudy, low-light weather, then reopen in full sun. On older types a gray day can leave them shut. per UMass and NC State
Bloom length depends on climate
Illinois reports a long May to October show; Missouri Botanical Garden sees a shorter May to July flush in hot, humid summers. Cool nights drive it, not the calendar. per Illinois and Missouri Botanical Garden
Metallic blue central eye
The big daisy flowers ring a central disc that reads metallic blue or violet until the yellow pollen sheds, which is why one nickname is blue-eyed daisy. per UMass and Illinois
Rots in wet soil
Its main weakness is wet feet: overwatered or poorly drained soil triggers root and crown rot (Phytophthora, Pythium, Rhizoctonia). Keep it evenly moist but sharply drained. per Minnesota and UMass
African daisy names many plants
Several unrelated daisies share the name African daisy: Osteospermum, Dimorphotheca, Arctotis, Gazania and Gerbera. They differ in care and safety, so match the botanical name to look one up. per NC State and ASPCA
Takes light frost, not freezes
It shrugs off a light frost, down to 28 F and sometimes 25 F, but a hard freeze kills it. Most gardeners grow it as a cool-season annual. per UMass and Iowa State
What pairs well with African Daisy
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Sneezeweed
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Joe Pye Weed
Shares full sun and moderate to high water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
False Sunflower
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Sunflower
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Passionflower
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; echoes the purple.
Love-Lies-Bleeding
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; taller at 3.5 ft, for the layer behind it.
Lavender
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into late summer; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; both offer pollinator forage.
Rose of Sharon
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; stands well above at 8 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
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Design a garden with this
Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.