Felicitara™ Blue

Class

Dicotyledons

Division

Angiospermae

Family

Asteraceae or Compositae

Order

Asterales

Genus

Felicia

Species

amelloides

Description

A perennial ornamental herbaceous plant prized for its lush blooms throughout the spring period with a multitude of daisy-like flowers that rise above the foliage and are characterised by their attention-grabbing blue or azure hues as a highly decorative focal point. With its compact, globular habit, it is ideal for decorating terraces and balconies in planters or pots, even hanging ones, as well as flower beds. Easy to grow, it requires full sun exposure and soil conditions free of waterlogging.

Variety description

Plant with an abundant and showy flowering with its daisy-like flowers of a blue colour in the spring period. It does not have great re-flowering.

Curiosities and special features

According to some botanists, the generic epithet Felicia may derive from felix, meaning happy or cheerful, in reference to the flowers with their bright, shining colours.

Origin and distribution

A native species of South Africa, particularly the Western and Eastern Cape Province, where it grows wild up to 1000 m above sea level. It was introduced as an ornamental in Europe during the 18th century.

Flower size

The flower is small, lending elegance and sinuosity to the lush bloom.

Leaf

The leaves have characteristic fleshy needle-like laminae.

Flowering period

With its flowering, it provides a unique accent of colour from early spring to early summer for a duration of 90 to 120 days.

Leaf colour

Solid colour.

Plant height

The height of the plant varies from 0.2 to 0.3 m.

Lifespan

Evergreen or semi-evergreen perennial plant.

Where to plant

Due to its vigorous growth and abundant flowering, it is considered ideal for flowerbeds, balconies

Stem

The stem is herbaceous and the variety has no thorns.

Flower

The flower is daisy-shaped, small, with single-coloured petals. It flowers from early spring to early summer, with a flowering period of between 90 and 120 days. It is not particularly attractive to pollinating insects.

Growth

The compact growth allows for homogeneous, well-structured results with high ornamental value.

Plant habit

Variety with globular habitus.

Branching

Its abundant branching makes it very decorative, a characteristic also reinforced by the multitude of flowers with which it forms colourful, dense patches in balcony and terrace decoration.

PH

As with many other ornamentals, the ideal pH of the soil or substrate is slightly acidic, between 6.0 and 6.5.

Soil preparation

Before transplanting into the flower bed, dig up the soil about 20 cm deep and remove any weeds and bulky pebbles, then use a hoe to break up the coarser clods, and finally add about 5/10 cm of professional substrate to the surface and carefully level out the planting holes to a suitable density.

Sun exposure

For abundant flowering expose the plant to full sun.

Ideal climate and temperature

The ideal temperature is between 15 and 18 °C. The biological temperature is between 10 and 30 °C. Suitable for warm temperate climates, in areas with harsh winters it is recommended to shelter it indoors.

Use

Due to its scenic and copious flowering, it is used as a plant in
Outdoor ornamental

Hardiness

A variety of medium hardiness, it provides excellent decorative results when exposed to full sun in well-draining soils or substrates and also shows some tolerance to periods of drought.

Soil

The ideal soil for proper growth is medium-textured, well-drained and loosened. For use in pots and planters, use a specific substrate for spring plants containing peat and perlite.

Difficulty

It is easy to cultivate requiring an overall low level of management effort.

Growing tips

Agatea is sensitive to waterlogging, which can lead to root rot, so it is advisable to

Avoid watering too much

Combinations with other plants

Ideal used either as a single specimen or to create compact monochrome groups or in compositions with other ornamentals such as Gazania splendens, Gerbera jamesonii, Helichrysum petiolare, Nicotiana affinis, Osteospermum x hybrida.

Planting

For use in flowerbeds, transplanting should be carried out at a suitable density to ensure the expression of the best growth vigour, thus achieving proportionate and visually harmonious final effects; we therefore recommend an average planting density of 20 plants per square metre. We also suggest positioning the plant on a raised bed with the collar off the surface, ensuring that the root ball is moist and watering immediately after planting, but avoiding water stagnation.

Propagation

It is multiplied by seed or by apical cutting.

Watering

Use rainwater, alternatively from the aqueduct, either manually or by irrigation. When transplanting, assist the seedling to take root properly in the new site by keeping it at a constant humidity; then allow the soil or substrate to dry out slightly between one watering and the next, but avoid dry strokes. Summer watering must be regular but free from excesses that can lead to stagnation and root rot with subsequent yellowing and plant death. During the winter period reduce irrigation.

Read more on the Joyflo blog

Fertilising

Following a correct post-transplant settlement, during the spring-summer period apply a specific fertiliser for ornamental plants to the soil or substrate at the foot of the plant, to be distributed in liquid form, i.e. diluted in the irrigation water, without exceeding the dosage and frequency.

Edibility for humans

Non-edible.

Toxicity for humans

Toxicity not known, avoid ingestion.

Tip

The plant does not like asphyctic soils and water stagnation otherwise it can turn yellow, it flowers profusely in spring and has a small re-flowering in mid-September, it should not be topped.