Plant Gardens 101

Daisy family
Compositae
Ve-nid’i-um. South African annual or perennial herbs comprising about 25 species.

Description
Leaves alternate, deeply cut, stalked, grayish green, of cobwebby appearance when young. Flowers in solitary heads, daisylike. Ray flowers yellow or orange, sometimes with purple band at the base. Disk flowers purplish black.

How to Grow  
Sow seeds indoors in early spring. Shift seedlings to progressively larger pots to produce good-size plants with flower buds by last frost. In Calif., plant after spring rains. Needs well-drained soil. To reduce incidence of stem rot, plant in raised beds topped with 1 in. (2.5 cm) of sand. The species below prefers cool weather.

Venidium fastuosum
Cape Daisy . 2-3 ft. (60-90 cm) high. Flowerheads 4-6 in. (10-15 cm) across, the ray flowers yellow-orange with purplish band at base, the disk flowers purplish black. Will withstand to 5° F (-15° C) of frost in Calif., but often does not do well in the East, especially if watered too freely. Excellent as cut flowers, continuing to open in morning and close at night. Tender annual.