Arctotis venusta

Blue-eyed african daisy

Family: Asteraceae · Type: perennial · Not Native

Blue-eyed african daisy is a naturalized perennial found in southern California coastal areas at elevations below 300 meters. Flowering from April to November, this plant produces white ray flowers with a narrow yellow base and violet reverse, surrounded by gray-violet disk flowers in heads up to 8 centimeters wide. Growing with stout stems 40 to 70 centimeters tall that are cobwebby to woolly, it develops from a robust taproot. Its oblong to obovate leaves range from 5 to 20 centimeters long, covered evenly in gray tomentose, with margins entire to wavy and occasionally featuring irregular lobes. The distinctive fruit is 2 to 3 millimeters long with three wings and multiple cavities, topped by a delicate series of translucent pappus scales.

Habitat: Uncommon. Escape from cultivation in coastal areas, roadsides

Bloom period: Apr-Nov

Elevation: < 300 m

Bioregions: SCo

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.