What is Arctotis?
Arctotis is a genus of plants that is part of the Asteraceae family. It contains about 40 types of deciduous perennials, most of which come from South Africa. This group of plants contains flowers similar to daisy and oval leaves. Landscapes use these plants for flower beds, borders and containers. Most of them require regular pruning and almost all are affected by insects consuming leaves, especially aphids and saws.
The name of this genus is derived from the Greek words Arctos and otis that translate into "bear" and "ear". This describes the hair on the surface of the fruit produced by these plants. The general name of the plant in the family arctotis is African daisy. Most species have a variant of a common name, including Arctotis Venusta called African Daisy with Blue -eyed.
Most species in this group are distributed throughout South Africa. Arctotis venusta is found from South Africa to Namibia while Arctotis staechadifolia is grown along the west coast of South Africa. The natural habitats of these plants include dunes and coastal areas. Some species thrive in areas with hot, dry flights or frequent salts from the ocean. The leaf consists of silver leaves that are deeply lobed and have a hairy surface. Each stem is upright and has several branches. At the top of the stem is a flower.
Flower a. Fastuosa is clearly orange, with a black ring. There is a black spot in the center of the flower. There are many petals that are arranged in a circular, sun arrangement. Flowers usually hatch from Midsummer to the beginning of autumn.
This plant is well successful soil, which is acidic to neutral at pH. It tolerates clay and sandy soil. a. Fastuosa should be planted in an area that is exposed to direct sunlight. If it is placed in a container, it should bI will be a plant near a window or on a terrace with sunlight.
a. Fastuosa is often contaminated by aphids and saws. The aphids are small, round insects and saws are usually in the phase of their larvae and appear as white, crawling larvae. They feed on the leaves and aphids and cause noticeable damage. The aphids usually leave sticky residues, while Sawflies carve the white trail on the surface of the leaf. The leaves usually dry and turn brown.