Felicia aethiopica
Image: Paul Hoekman
Description
This lovely plant with its bright blue flowers is a must in every garden as it flowers all year, keeping your garden bright and beautiful.It grows frequently in bushy places on the lower plateau slopes of Table Mountain and has a large distribution range on flats from the Cederberg to the Eastern Cape.
Felicia aethiopica subsp. aethiopica is an attractive plant that can be used in rock garden pockets, mixed borders, as edging for taller perennials, filler, ground cover, containers or allowed to sprawl over low garden walls. In a mixed border it can be planted with Helichrysum cymosum, Bulbine frutescens, Ursinia paleacea, U. sericea, Plecostachys serpyllifolia, Cineraria saxifraga, C. geifolia, Dimorphotheca fruticosus, Pelargonium betulinum (white) and Geranium incanum (white).
Propagation instructions - cuttings
Cuttings can be taken in autumn or spring. Fill a container with a mixture of 1:1 fine milled pine bark and polystyrene. To propagate cuttings use stems 30-50 mm long, remove side shoots, a third to half of the lower leaves and flowers if present. The stems must be cut just below the node and the end of the stems can be covered in rooting hormone to encourage root growth. Shake all excess powder off before putting them in a container as too much powder will burn the cutting. Put the cuttings about a third of the stem length in the soil. Cover the container with a plastic bag to retain the moisture. The cuttings can also be placed in a mist unit with bottom heating at 25º C. Roots start developing after 2-3 weeks. Once the plants are established, they grow fast. Grow in full sun or semi-shade. They easily adapt to new soil types. It is a water-wise plant and grows well in coastal gardens. Fertilizer for flowering plants (with ratio of N:P:K = 3:1:5) can be added to the soil to enhance growth.
Propagation instructions - seeds
Sow seeds in spring or autumn on sandy loam soil with good drainage. Cover the seeds with a light dressing of sand. It takes up to three weeks to germinate.
Sources and references
Scientific name
Felicia aethiopica
Common name(s)
Wild aster