How to Grow a Cat's Eye
Give Cat's Eye (Arctotis) full sun, sandy well-drained soil, and very little water once established. Skip the fertilizer, since rich soil produces leaves at the expense of flowers. Treat as a warm-season annual in zones 8 and colder, perennial in zones 9 to 11. Flowers close at night and on cloudy days, which is normal.
Where to plant
Arctotis are warm-season flowering plants native to dry regions of South Africa. They are tender perennials hardy in USDA zones 9 through 11 and grown as annuals everywhere colder. The genus includes around 60 species, with A. fastuosa, A. hybrida, A. acaulis, and A. stoechadifolia among the most commonly grown.
Sun
Arctotis demand full sun, eight hours or more a day for the heaviest bloom show. In partial shade the plants stretch and produce few flowers, and in deep shade they barely flower at all. The blooms themselves close at night and on cloudy days as a natural water-saving response, which is normal behavior and not a problem.
Drainage
Sharp drainage is the single most important condition for Arctotis. The roots rot quickly in soggy soil. Sandy soil, gravelly slopes, and raised beds all work well. Heavy clay is the wrong habitat. Dig a one-foot test hole and fill it with water. If water sits more than a few hours, build up a raised mound or amend the planting hole heavily with coarse sand or grit.
Soil
Lean, sandy soil produces the best plants. Arctotis evolved in nutrient-poor soils and respond to rich conditions with floppy growth and fewer flowers. Skip heavy compost amendments and the bagged garden soils marketed for vegetable beds.
Space
Plant 10 to 12 inches apart for a clumping mass effect. The plants stay low at 8 to 18 inches tall depending on species and spread sideways to about 18 inches across. Close spacing produces a tight ground cover effect, wider spacing lets each plant show its mound shape.
How to plant
Plant outside after the last frost when the soil has warmed to at least 60°F. Arctotis can be started from seed indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost or bought as small starts from a garden center.
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1Wait for warm soil Cool damp soil at planting time is the fastest route to root rot. Hold off until the soil has warmed and the threat of frost has passed entirely. In zones 7 and warmer this means late April to early May, and in colder zones late May to early June.
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2Dig a hole the same depth as the root ball Do not bury the crown. The point where stems meet roots should sit at or just above the surrounding soil level. Buried crowns rot.
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3Skip heavy amendments Backfill with the native soil that came out of the hole, mixed with a small handful of coarse sand or grit if your soil is on the heavy side. Resist the urge to add compost or rich potting mix, because Arctotis bloom better in lean conditions.
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4Water in once, then let dry Water the planting thoroughly once to settle the soil around the roots. Then let the surface dry between waterings. Arctotis prefer to be slightly underwatered rather than slightly overwatered.
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5Pinch the growing tips after a week Once the plant has settled in and is showing new growth, pinch the tips back by about an inch to encourage branching. This produces a bushier, more compact plant with more flowering stems through the season.
Watering and feeding
Watering
Arctotis are among the most drought-tolerant flowering annuals in common garden use. Water at planting and during the first two weeks while roots establish, then taper off sharply. Established plants are happy with a deep soak every 10 to 14 days through summer, and even less in cool weather.
Always water at the base of the plant rather than overhead. Wet foliage in humid weather invites powdery mildew. Allow the top inch of soil to dry completely between waterings.
Feeding
Skip the fertilizer. Arctotis grown in even moderately rich soil produce lots of leaves and few flowers. If the plant looks pale and clearly underfed by midseason, one very light application of a low-nitrogen bloom-booster fertilizer can help. Most plants need no feeding at all from planting through frost.
Pruning and maintenance
Arctotis need pinching, deadheading, and a midseason cleanup to keep flowering hard through the warm months.
Pinching for bushiness
Pinch the growing tips back by an inch when the plants are 4 to 6 inches tall, and again a couple of weeks later. Pinching produces side shoots and turns a single straggly stem into a bushy plant with many flowering points. Stop pinching once buds form.
Deadheading spent flowers
Cut spent flowers back to a leaf node along the stem with sharp scissors or pruners. Removing finished flowers encourages the plant to push more buds rather than setting seed. Done weekly through the bloom period, this keeps the show going for months.
Midseason cleanup
If the plants get leggy or stop flowering well in midsummer, cut the entire clump back by a third with sharp shears. Water lightly afterward and the plants flush back in 2 to 3 weeks with a fresh bloom display.
Blooming and color
Arctotis bloom from late spring through fall in mild climates, and from early summer through frost in cooler zones. The flowers are large daisies, 2 to 4 inches across, in vivid color combinations rarely seen in other genera.
Bloom timing and duration
Expect first flowers about 8 to 10 weeks from sowing or 4 to 6 weeks from transplant. Once started, the bloom show continues until cold weather or stress slows the plants. Established plants in zones 9 to 11 may flower most of the year with light winter pause.
Why flowers close at night
Arctotis flowers close at sunset and reopen in midmorning, and they often stay closed on cloudy or rainy days. This is normal behavior that helps the plants conserve water in their native dry South African habitat. Closed flowers are not a sign of trouble, only of the time of day or the weather.
Color range
The genus produces blooms in pink, orange, yellow, cream, white, mahogany, and bicolor combinations. Many forms have a contrasting dark center ring that gives the flower its cat's eye look. A. fastuosa is the orange Cape daisy. A. hybrida covers the wide-color hybrids. A. acaulis stays low with white-and-pink flowers.
Cutting for arrangements
Arctotis make decent cut flowers if picked just as the flower is fully open in midmorning. Cut stems hold for 4 to 6 days in a vase. Cut early in the day, strip lower leaves, and recut the stem ends under water before arranging.
Common problems and pests
Most Arctotis trouble traces back to too much water or too much shade. The plants are otherwise fairly trouble-free.
Wilting, blackening stems, and sudden collapse
Root rot from overwatering or poor drainage. Arctotis are exceptionally sensitive to wet feet. Pull back watering immediately, improve drainage with sand or grit worked into the area, and remove any rotting plants to prevent spread. Replant the spot only after improving the soil.
Flowers staying closed all day
On cloudy or rainy days the flowers stay closed as a natural response. This is normal. If the flowers also stay closed on sunny days, the plant may be in too much shade or under heat stress. Move shaded plants to a sunnier spot and water deeply in extreme heat.
Few or no flowers
Three usual causes: not enough sun, too much water, or too rich soil. Arctotis bloom hardest in poor lean soil with strong direct sun and dry conditions. Pull back on water and skip the fertilizer to bring back blooming.
White powdery film on leaves
Powdery mildew, usually starting on lower foliage in humid weather. Improve airflow by thinning crowded plants and avoid splashing the leaves when you water. Heavy outbreaks respond to a horticultural oil or potassium bicarbonate spray applied to thorough leaf coverage.
Aphids on new growth
Small green, black, or pink insects clustered on stems and the undersides of new leaves. Knock them off with a strong spray of water. Heavy infestations respond to insecticidal soap. Ladybugs eat aphids faster than any spray, so plant a few yarrows or sweet alyssum nearby to attract them.
Squiggly trails through the leaves (leaf miners)
Larvae feeding inside the leaf tissue produce visible tunnels. Damage is mostly cosmetic on Arctotis and the plant tolerates it well. Pick off and discard heavily mined leaves to break the cycle.
Plants going leggy mid-summer
Long, sparse stems with few leaves at the base. The cure is the midsummer cutback. Shear the entire clump back by a third and the plants flush bushy and bloom again in a few weeks.
Slug and snail damage on young plants
Ragged holes chewed in new foliage, usually with slime trails visible in early morning. Hand-pick at dusk after a rain. Iron phosphate slug bait is safe around pets and works overnight.
Plants disappearing over winter in zone 8 and colder
Arctotis are not reliably winter-hardy below zone 9. In zones 7 and 8, mulch heavily after the first frost for a chance at return. In zone 6 and colder, accept that the plants are annuals and start fresh each spring.
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