Dimorphotheca sinuata
Namaqualand daisy, Namaqualand Daisy
(c) Tony Rebelo, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Tony Rebelo · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Dimorphotheca sinuata (Namaqualand daisy) is a non-native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by differentiated by small annual habit vs. large woody shrub vs. trailing perennial, plus distinctive orange-yellow flowers.
Namaqualand daisy is a naturalized annual found in the San Joaquin Valley, Central Western California, southwestern California, and desert regions in disturbed habitats, roadsides, and occasional wildflower mixes at elevations below 1,000 meters. Flowering from February to June, this plant produces ray flowers 2 to 2.5 centimeters long in stunning orange to yellow colors, sometimes with violet edges, and disk flowers with purple tips. Growing 10 to 30 centimeters tall with erect, glandular-hairy stems that are simple or sparingly branched from the base, it has an upright and delicate form. Its leaves vary from proximal oblong to oblanceolate shapes with bases tapering to petiole-like attachments, while distal leaves become smaller and sometimes linear, ranging from entire to coarsely dentate. The flower heads are impressively large, measuring 3 to 7 centimeters in diameter, with lance-linear phyllaries and distinctive multicolored petals.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 2 sympatric species; differentiated by small annual habit vs. large woody shrub vs. trailing perennial, plus distinctive orange-yellow flowers
Habitat and range
Habitat: Escape from cultivation, roadsides, disturbed places, occasionally sown in wildflower mixes
Elevation: < 1000 m
California counties: Ventura, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Fresno, Imperial, San Luis Obispo, Sutter, Santa Barbara, Contra Costa, Alameda, Stanislaus, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, Merced, Monterey
Outside California: native to southern Africa
Bloom period
Dimorphotheca sinuata blooms Feb-Jun.
How to tell it apart
vs Anemone: Anemone has no true petals (just colorful sepals) and never has a yellow disk center like Dimorphotheca.; vs Osteospermum: Osteospermum has spoon-shaped disk fruits with a hardened center, while Dimorphotheca disk fruits are flat.; vs Arctotis: Arctotis plants are coarse perennials or subshrubs with inch-long rays; Dimorphotheca is a delicate annual with half-inch heads.; vs Encelia: Encelia has no ray flowers on most heads (disk-only), while Dimorphotheca always has showy rays.; vs Gazania: Gazania leaves are white-woolly underneath and clustered at the base; Dimorphotheca has green puberulent leaves along stems.
Frequently asked questions
Is Dimorphotheca sinuata native to California?
No. Dimorphotheca sinuata is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Dimorphotheca sinuata bloom?
Dimorphotheca sinuata blooms Feb-Jun.
Where in California does Dimorphotheca sinuata grow?
Dimorphotheca sinuata occurs in Ventura, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Fresno and other counties, at elevations of < 1000 m.
What plant family does Dimorphotheca sinuata belong to?
Dimorphotheca sinuata is in the Asteraceae family, genus Dimorphotheca.
What habitat does Dimorphotheca sinuata grow in?
Dimorphotheca sinuata grows in Escape from cultivation, roadsides, disturbed places, occasionally sown in wildflower mixes.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.