Consulta Plantas

Care of the plant Arctotheca calendula or Cape dandelion

The genus Arctotheca, family Asteraceae, comprises 6 species of annual or perennial plants native to South Africa. Some species are: Arctotheca calendula, Arctotheca populifolia, Arctotheca prostrata.

Common name: Cape marigold, Capeweed, Plain treasureflower, Cape dandelion. This species is native to South Africa.

They are herbaceous plants of creeping habit that extend by stolons and that reach 40 cm (1.31 feet) in height. The leaves are lobed, hairy and light green. The showy yellow flowers appear in long peduncles above the leaves. They can bloom from late spring to mid-fall.

They are used to cover slopes, for mixed edges, for notes of color on the lawn and in pots.

Arctotheca calendula can be grown in an exposure of full sun or light shade and in temperate or warm climates. Although they tolerate light frosts it is better to protect them in winter with a cover of leaves.

Good soil for these plants could be a mixture of 1/2 garden soil, 1/4 sand, and 1/4 decomposed leaf mulch. Planting in final location from mid-spring.

They are sensitive to excess moisture; water moderately, waiting until the soil has dried.

Fertilize every 2 weeks with liquid mineral fertilizer during the long flowering season.

Prune the withered flowers to favor the appearance of new ones. It is also convenient to control its growth since it tends to be invasive.

Overwatering can rot the roots.

They propagate by division in early spring or from seeds sown directly into the ground in spring.

Images of the plant Arctotheca calendula or Cape dandelion