Dimorphotheca

Family. Asteraceae.

Origin. South Africa.

Description. Dimorphotheca are hardy annual plants with large, brightly colored flowers atop long, slender, erect stems. The flowers resemble daisies, in shades of white, pink, purple, orange, yellow, and sometimes bicolor. Leaves up to 8 cm long are arranged alternately, succulent, linear-lanceolate or narrow-elliptic on short petioles, often with jagged edges. All above-ground parts are covered with fine pubescence. When damaged, the leaves emit a pleasant aroma.

Nowadays, dimorphotheca and osteospermum are often confused - they are close relatives, but it is customary to call perennial plants osteospermums, and annual plants - dimorphotheca.

Height. 30 cm in height.

Planting and care

Growing from seeds, propagation 

Seeds can be sown in April - in this case, the plants will bloom in June and July. Cover the seeds when sowing with a thin layer of coarse river sand 5 mm thick. and place the pots of saplings in a sunny place. If planted too deep, germination is lost. Fresh seeds come out more abundantly. Germination occurs within 7-10 days if the pots are kept warm. Cuttings rooted in a mixture of 50% perlite and 50% river sand in April - July.  

How to grow

A fairly unpretentious flowering annual that will not tolerate only very serious mistakes in care. Remove faded buds to extend the flowering period and give the bush a neat appearance.

Soil 

Loves light, loose soils with a high content of coarse sand. Tolerates even fairly poor soils with good drainage.

Temperature

Tolerates a fairly wide range of temperatures, but does not tolerate frost. 

Flowering time

July August.

Diseases and pests 

If there is excess moisture or stagnant water in the pan, rot may occur. There will be no flowering if kept in partial shade. Among the harmful insects, spider mites and aphids can settle on the flower.

Lighting

Dimorphotheca needs a sunny location to form buds. It is advisable to place the pot so that the shoots and leaves receive several hours of direct sun per day in the morning or evening hours. When grown in partial shade, the plant blooms less abundantly, and the buds remain half-open on cloudy days.

Fertilizer

During the period of active growth, fertilize at half the concentration every 2 weeks.

Watering 

Watering should be moderate, as representatives of this species tolerate short-term drought. Do not dry out the soil ball completely. In winter, the frequency of watering is reduced.

Spraying

There are no special requirements; periodic spraying will help prevent pest invasion. The plant needs constant air movement around it. 

Transplantation 

The bush does not tolerate even minor damage to the root system, so it should be replanted only when necessary - when it has greatly outgrown the pot or the soil needs to be replaced with fresh soil. It is often grown as an annual species and does not need to be replanted.

Purpose

Often used for landscaping balconies, loggias and terraces. 

Varieties:

Dimorphotheca aurantiaca

Compact herbaceous flowering plants up to 30 cm high with branched strong stems. Leaves are green, linear, narrow, fragrant when damaged. Leaf blades are entire. The flowers are large, daisy-like, with many long petals in shades of orange, coral, and yellow. 

Dimorphotheca pluvialis

A very attractive flowering low plant up to 20 - 30 cm with erect, branching stems. The leaves are green, oblong, up to 9 cm long. Flowers with a purple center and white petals open only in sunny weather, during the daytime.