Bright, sky-toned and impossibly cheerful, Felicia is one of southern Africa’s most instantly recognisable daisy genera. Belonging to the Asteraceae (daisy family), Felicia species are famous for their crisp, starry flowerheads – often in shades of blue, mauve, violet, or white – that seem to glow against the soft greens and silvery foliage so common in fynbos and Cape landscapes.

The genus is strongly centred in southern Africa, and South Africa in particular is exceptionally rich in Felicia diversity: there are about 84 species, with around 79 occurring in southern Africa, and most found in the Cape provinces. While many gardeners first meet Felicia through the popular blue daisy shrubs and seasonal annuals, in nature the genus ranges from compact little annuals that appear after winter rains to longer-lived shrublets that thrive in sunny, well-drained habitats.

Felicias are also wonderfully “designed” for the wild. Their flowers attract a busy cast of pollinators like bees and butterflies, and their seeds carry a tufted pappus that helps them disperse on the wind – perfect for open, sandy flats and slopes. For growers in South Africa and abroad, Felicia offers that rare combination of easy charm and true indigenous character: plants that look effortlessly floriferous, yet still feel botanically special.

Felicia heterophylla (Charieis heterophylla, Charieis caerulea, Charieis neesii, Charieis pilosella, Kaulfussia amelloides) – True-blue Daisy; Bloublomastertjie

If you’re looking for a daisy that reads as pure colour from a distance, Felicia heterophylla is the one to grow. Known as the true-blue daisy, it’s celebrated for being one of the few felicias with entirely blue daisy flowers, rather than the more typical “yellow-eyed” look seen in many daisies. The result is a clean, intense splash of blue that feels both wild and refined – perfect for brightening winter and spring planting schemes.

This species is a Cape endemic, naturally found in the Western Cape from Clanwilliam to Cape Town, where it grows on sandy flats and slopes. It forms a pretty, bushy annual of roughly 30 cm x 30 cm, with hairy, oblanceolate leaves arranged alternately along the stems. Flowerheads are borne singly on long stalks, creating a light, airy display that looks wonderful in drifts, edging, and meadow-style mixes.

Flowering is mainly spring (August to October), when plants produce masses of those unmistakable blue blooms. Seed is produced as small cypselas topped with a tuft of white hairs, helping it travel on the breeze – one of the reasons this plant can feel delightfully spontaneous when allowed to self-seed in the right spot. For South African growers, it’s a seasonal favourite with real fynbos soul; for international growers, it’s an authentic piece of Cape flora that’s as rewarding in pots and beds as it is in a sunny, well-drained garden border.