Tags
Africa, blue marguerite, Cape Town, companion plants, Felicia amelliodes, flower spider, flying insects, Marguerite, Pollen, pollen grains, Provinces, sandy soils, South Africa, Western Cape
The Blue Marguerite (Felicia Ameliodes) is an eye catching indigenous edition to any garden here in the Western Cape. It flowers most of the year, and reseeds itself all over the garden. The seedlings are easily harvested and transplanted to where they are needed.
It is extremely water-wise and tolerates the Western Cape winds. It is hardy, long flowering, and even frost resistant and needs only moderate care, thriving in sandy soils.
- Good companion plants include Scabiosa africana , S. “Blue Butterfly” S. “Pink Mist”, variousHelichrysium species, Agapanthus species and cultivars, and Bulbine frutescense.
Ecology
Felicias are visited by bees and small flying insects, such as wasps and butterflies. They also have tiny thrips running around the florets, usually carrying pollen grains on their bodies. Sometimes a bright yellow ‘flower’ spider lurks in the daisy’s center, matching the disc florets perfectly. Whatever animal achieves pollination, it is generally very successful as full heads of seed are the norm.
Felicia amelloides can be seen on one of our South African stamps.
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