How to Grow Cape Marigolds (African Daisies)
When it comes to enjoyable South African exports, the cape marigold comes to mind.
Dimorphotheca sinuata is a self-seeding daisy-like annual in the aster family native to Namibia and Cape Province, South Africa.
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Introduced to Arizona in the 1940s, it is suited to cultivation in USDA Hardiness Zones 2 to 11.
In its native habitat and similar frost-free zones, it blooms from spring to winter. In other regions, it is a sensation from summer to frost.
Please note that D. sinuata naturalizes readily and has done so in Arizona, California, and Oregon.
Unfortunately, it can become invasive and is classified as an emerging environmental weed in California and Australia, and invasive in the Dominican Republic.
Also noteworthy, there is another daisy-like species, perennial Osteospermum, that’s sometimes called cape marigold.
Once classified under the Dimorphotheca umbrella, it is now described as part of a separate genus and is not the topic of this guide.
Read on for all you need to know to grow and care for annual cape marigold, D. sinuata, in your outdoor living space – including a tip for curbing its aggressive tendencies.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
Let’s start with a bit of background.
Cultivation and HistoryLike the rainbow nation it comes from – so dubbed by Archbishop Desmond Tutu to describe South Africa’s diverse people – cape marigold comes in a varied color palette that includes apricot, orange, salmon, white, and yellow, sometimes with striking purple accents.
Mature dimensions are four to 12 inches tall and wide. Plants have an upright growth habit and
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