Growing African Daisy: A Complete Profile
By Growing Home Greens Team · August 19, 2026
African daisy is a quick, low annual that gets from seed to flower in about two months and keeps going from spring through fall.
Two plants share this name
The one grown from seed on a rack is Dimorphotheca sinuata, an annual. The perennial sold in nursery pots under the same common name is usually Osteospermum, a different genus with different hardiness. This profile and our calendar cover the annual. If you bought a plant rather than a packet, check the label before assuming these dates apply.
Closing at night is not a problem
The flowers shut at night and on overcast days, then reopen in sun. This is normal for the species and not a sign of stress, underwatering, or disease. It does mean the plant looks its worst on exactly the grey days when you most want colour.
It grows almost anywhere for one season
NC State Extension lists it across zones 2a through 11b, which is a way of saying that as a summer annual it does not much care where you are. It wants full sun, six or more hours, and it stays between four and twelve inches tall, so it slots into a front row or a border square without shading anything.
At two plants per square foot and 60 days to first flower, it is a reasonable filler for a square that opens up mid-season after an early crop comes out. Pair it with something taller behind rather than beside, since it will not compete for light.
Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, Dimorphotheca sinuata.
Companion planting guide for African Daisy · Find your planting dates
Typically viable in USDA zones 2-11. Not sure your zone? Look it up by ZIP code.
Mature height: 0.5-1 ft
Method: Direct sow: Direct-sow outside. It doesn't transplant well, or doesn't need the extra time indoors.
When to plant African daisy, by zone
Every zone African daisy grows in. Pick your zone in the header and it will be highlighted here. Each zone links to its full page.
| Zone | Start indoors | Sow or plant out | Bloom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2a & 2b | Not usually | May 20–May 27 | Jul 19–Jul 26 |
| 3a & 3b | Not usually | May 30–Jun 6 | Jul 29–Aug 5 |
| 4a & 4b | Not usually | May 15–May 22 | Jul 14–Jul 21 |
| 5a & 5b | Not usually | May 10–May 17 | Jul 9–Jul 16 |
| 6a & 6b | Not usually | Apr 25–May 2 | Jun 24–Jul 1 |
| 7a & 7b | Not usually | Apr 10–Apr 17 | Jun 9–Jun 16 |
| 8a & 8b | Not usually | Mar 25–Apr 1 | May 24–May 31 |
| 9a & 9b | Not usually | Feb 15–Feb 22 | Apr 16–Apr 23 |
| 10a & 10b | Not usually | Jan 30–Feb 6 | Mar 31–Apr 7 |
| 11a & 11b | Not usually | Jan 1–Jan 8 | Mar 2–Mar 9 |
Bloom dates are about 60 days after the sow or plant-out date.
Zone 2 sows before zone 3 here, which looks wrong and is not. USDA zones rank winter cold, not season length, and zone 2 is mostly interior Alaska, where hard winters come with warm summers. More on what a zone measures.
See exact start-indoors, direct-sow, and harvest dates for your zone →
How many African Daisy plants fit per square foot?
Spacing: 2 per square foot (square-foot-gardening spacing). Mature height: 0.5-1 ft.
Where to buy African daisy seeds
None of the seed suppliers we list carries African daisy seeds right now. A local garden center or a specialty seed house is the place to look.
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See it growing
Search YouTube for "growing African daisy" videos → (a live search, not a hand-picked video; results vary and aren't vetted by us)
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Growing African Daisy: A fast four to twelve inch annual that flowers spring through fall and closes its petals at night.
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