Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Purple Sun African Daisy bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called African Daisy, Cape Daisy, South African Daisy (Osteospermum ecklonis).

More about purple sun african daisy

About Purple Sun African Daisy

Osteospermum ecklonis · also called African Daisy, Cape Daisy · flowering

Purple Sun African Daisy is a sun-loving tender perennial from South Africa bearing large daisy-like flowers with rich purple ray florets and a contrasting dark disc. It is drought-tolerant once established and flowers prolifically in well-drained soil. Osteospermum is not listed by the ASPCA as toxic; it is generally considered low-risk for pets.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Legginess after first flush: Cut stems back by one-third after the main flush to promote a second wave of flowering.

The reasons purple sun african daisy isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming purple sun african daisy traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding purple sun african daisy a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get purple sun african daisy to flower

Maximise sun. Give purple sun african daisy the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for purple sun african daisy and get the feeding right with the purple sun african daisy fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Purple Sun African Daisy flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full purple sun african daisy care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Purple Sun African Daisy blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my purple sun african daisy flower?

Purple Sun African Daisy blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make purple sun african daisy bloom?

Give purple sun african daisy the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does purple sun african daisy normally bloom?