FELICIA AMELLOIDES (Blue Daisy)

South Africa

 

 

The beautiful Kingfisher Daisy is a favourite in UK summer borders, pots & hanging baskets. Its SKY BLUE daisy flowers have bright YELLOW centres on long stems.

 Felicia amelloides, an alpine perennial in its native South Africa, is best treated as an annual in the UK. It enjoys weather that is hot & dry but does not cope well with our humidity & wet winters.

This plant will grow in a variety of soils – poor to moderately fertile, in sand, chalk or loam – as long as it has good drainage & full sun. Pest-resistant.

 Deadhead spent blooms to prevent the plant going to seed.

 

Bees’ favourite.

 

Felicia flowers are very popular with bees. Give the plant full sun and good drainage, keep it watered but not waterlogged, & pinch off spent blooms to encourage new ones. Pollinators will thank you for it.

 

 

 

Felicia Grown at Kew Gardens

‘Blue marguerite can be propagated easily from cuttings or seeds… plants should be given regular, moderate watering. Felicia amelloides has been grown from seed at Kew for display in the Temperate House, where temperatures are kept above a minimum of 3˚C in order to overwinter the plants successfully.’

http://www.kew.org/science-conservation/plants-fungi/felicia-amelloides-blue-marguerite

Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew

Other names: Blue Daisy, Blue Marguerite, Kingfisher Daisy, Paris Daisy.