Do African Daisies Come Back Every Year? How To Keep Them Growing For Seasons To Come

With their beautiful blooms that liven up the yard in the spring and summer, African daisies (Osteospermum) are a great garden addition. However, as most varieties are tender perennials, it can be a bit worrisome when the colder months approach. You probably want these gorgeous flowers to come back year after year, but whether they will depends on where you live. As African daisies are winter hardy to USDA Hardiness Zones 10 and 11, you are safe if you live in these zones. Your African daisies will probably spring back up again once the warmer weather comes back. If you live in colder zones, your African daisies will die over the winter if you leave them outside.

If you live in hardiness zones 10 and 11, there are things that you can do to ensure that they are happy over winter. African daisies are great hanging basket flowers and are often grown in pots and baskets. You should give them extra protection if you are growing yours this way, as plants in containers are more susceptible to winter injury. For African daisies grown in colder areas, you will need to overwinter them indoors or take cuttings from them.

If your African daisy is in a pot, it is best to bring this perennial plant indoors before winter and store it in a greenhouse or sunroom. Before doing so, wash it with a hose and check over it for pests. You may want to give it a little tidy up at this point to remove any damaged foliage and dead flower heads. For African daisies in garden beds, you can dig them up and place them in containers to save for next year. Carefully dig up your African daisies, shake the soil from the roots, and pot them in fresh potting soil. When doing this, check over the plant to ensure there are no diseases or pests and tidy up the foliage. 

For African daisies in garden beds in Zones 10 and 11, it is beneficial to mulch them in the fall to give them an extra layer of protection over the colder months. Mulching will help the soil retain moisture and protect the plants from temperature changes and fluctuations. If your flowers are in containers and you want to leave them outside, place a thermal blanket around the pots to help them survive the winter. 

As African daisies are fairly easy to grow from cuttings, you may wish to propagate them in the fall to grow fresh flowers for the spring. This is a fun way of getting new flowers for free, and it allows you to overwinter your African daisies without having to dig them up or move large containers.