Asti Series Osteospermum brings an exotic African character to North American gardens with tidy, mounding plants crowned in vibrant 2.5-inch daisy-like blooms. These annual flowers thrive in full sun across hardiness zones 8-11, reaching 18-24 inches tall and flowering prolifically within 80-89 days from seed. Native to the challenging deserts of Africa and the Arabian peninsula, they bring tough, arid-adapted resilience to sunny borders and containers, delivering the familiar charm of daisies with an unexpected cosmopolitan flair.
Full Sun
Low
8-11
24in H x ?in W
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High
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These compact mounding plants pack surprising impact, flowering prolifically from early summer through frost with blooms that reach 2.5 inches across. Descended from tough African desert natives, they handle heat and dry conditions that would stress typical daisies, yet remain elegant enough for mixed borders and containers. The neat, shrubby form requires minimal fussing, making them rewarding for gardeners seeking reliable color without constant deadheading demands.
Asti Series Osteospermum excels as an ornamental flower for sunny borders, raised beds, and container gardening. The compact mounding form works beautifully in window boxes and mixed annual plantings, where its prolific daisy-like blooms create weeks of continuous color. Its desert heritage makes it especially valuable in water-conscious landscapes and xeriscape gardens where traditional annual flowers struggle.
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Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your last spring frost. Maintain soil temperature around 70 degrees Fahrenheit for germination. Keep seedlings in bright light to prevent leggy growth, and transplant into individual pots once they develop true leaves.
Harden off seedlings over 7-10 days by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions. Transplant outdoors after the last frost danger has passed and soil has warmed. Space plants 20 inches apart in rows 24 inches apart. In warm zones (10-11), transplant in fall for winter and spring flowering.
Direct sow seeds outdoors after frost danger has passed and soil temperature reaches 60 degrees Fahrenheit or above.
Deadhead spent blooms regularly to encourage continuous flowering and maintain the neat mounding form. Light pruning in early summer helps promote bushier growth and fuller plants. Hard pruning is unnecessary with this compact hybrid.
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“Osteospermum ecklonis hails from the arid regions of Africa and the Arabian peninsula, where harsh desert conditions shaped plants capable of sustained bloom and drought tolerance. The Asti Series represents a modern selection bred to maintain the species' resilience while emphasizing the compact, mounding habit and abundant flowering that make these osteospermums garden stars. This hybrid carries forward the genetic strength of its wild African ancestors while offering the uniform growth and extended bloom season that home gardeners expect from contemporary selections.”