Arctotheca calendula has different appearances, some with dark centres like the ones in picture, others with yellow centres, probably depending on whether the disc florets are open.

This plant is mostly annual, occasionally perennial; some plants are tufted, others sprawling. It may in some conditions be a quite vigorous creeping plant that invades large open patches. In Australia the Cape weed is quite a problem plant.

It is common in the winter rainfall area of South Africa in the south west of the country, but also found in some of the eastern parts of the Karoo and the Eastern Cape to Humansdorp (Manning, 2007; Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2010; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984).