could it have been gazania?
Linda C

Here is a link that might be useful: gazania

No, I'm familiar with Gazania (lovely, but I kill them faster than...ummm, I can't think of anything that dies faster for me :-( )

I decided to go to my local nursery and find out : needed to buy the annuals, wanted to dodge work anyway. I had asked them last year, brought in a flower to identify. They were mystified: then I found it later in the season on one of their tables in the back. Today I found they had it too: but not really the colors I wanted, like the hot orange I had last year: mostly in yellow, peach, and melon colors. Priced at what I thought was really high: a 3 1/2 inch pot for $3.95. (I don't know what's a good price, but that seems high to me. Anything a bit unusual was not in a 6-pack but in a 3 1/2 inch pot. Even Supertunias.) I bought a weird white, dark blue centered one, just to have it and see again what it does. This year they had used it heavily (the yellow ones) in the combo pot arrangements they make and sell (at a very high price) for the color-challenged to buy. Now I'm home of course I've blanked on the name again: similar to Ostrowspermia something. When my legs recover from 4 hours in the nursery I'll trundle out to the deck and read the label.

How about osteospermum? It sounds like that to me. I tried them several yrs ago. I loved the colors, but when it got hot they just died. I've read they don't like the heat. They can get mildew also. If you get hot summers, don't count on them blooming then...maybe even dying back.
I wish you luck! They are beautiful.

Kat

It is Osteospermum (African Daisy). What they don't like about our hot summers, is the hot nights. They need cold nights to flower extensively.

They are a favorite of mine, although a lot of maintaince seems required (I had them in pots last year and they needed LOTS of watering).

Hmmm...That's strange because I had mine in a very bad (read low moisture, hardpacked topsoil most of the time) area of my foundation planting, and they did superb. So well, in fact, that I'm putting them back there this year. I had "Proven Winners" brand Osteospermum Soprano, which is a light purple.
I was very pleased with them all summer here in Z5.

Well, mine were in very well drained potting soil. I had to water them twice a day for them to be happy. I'll be planting some in ground this year, I'll see how they like that...

Osteospermum is it. Despite the high price ($4 for a 3 1/2 inch pot) I bought 2. I wish they were sold in 6-packs! These will be in the center of 2 hanging baskets, since I liked them so much last year. If they die out again I will probably not use them next year, or plant them in the garden instead.