Osteospermum Dalina Bright Purple - Cape Daisy

Osteospermum Dalina® 'Bright Purple' is a Dimorphoteca selected for its large brilliantly purple-coloured flowers. This Cape daisy is part of a new generation of particularly floriferous hybrids. The Dalina series needs to be pinched to branch out well. It is a tender perennial, usually grown as an annual in temperate climates, where it brightens up containers throughout the summer. By the seaside, it is an excellent perennial for rockeries and dry slopes.

Mainly native to South Africa, Osteospermum are perennial or annual plants closely related to dimorphotecas. Like them, they belong to the large Asteraceae family. Most Osteospermums cultivated in gardens are hybrids of uncertain origin. They are generally very robust plants, useful for ornamenting dry soils. Their preferred region in South Africa corresponds to the Atlantic coast, which has a Mediterranean climate. The 'Bright Purple' variety of Dalina is a recent Danish selection that has a compact habit, ideal for container cultivation. Its flowering occurs from May-June to October, depending on the cultivation method and climate. The plant, reaching maturity in a few months, will grow to about 35cm in height and 40-45cm in width, forming a beautiful, generously flowering cushion. Its flowers are quite large compared to the size of the plant. They are borne on branched stems emerging from green foliage that will persist in winter above freezing temperatures. They close up when the light is insufficient. Usually grown as an annual in temperate climates, the plant can regrow from the stump in spring if the winter is not too cold (maximum hardiness -7/-8°C), and the soil is well-drained.

Osteospermums have become indispensable, as they are very willing to flower on dry slopes in open ground or on terraces and balconies exposed to heat. They can be associated with catnips, shrubby salvias, verbenas, Lantanas, or immortelles in a dry garden. They will highlight borders and flower rockeries. In a mix of colours, they form remarkable ground covers. In flower pots, they can be paired with Bidens or Erigeron karvinskianus, for example.