Gerbera Daisies -Symbolizing Innocence, Purity and Optimism

Gerbera daisies are bright, cheerful flowers in the sunflower family, famous for their big, round blooms in red, orange, yellow, pink and white. They are often said to symbolize innocence, purity and cheerfulness, and they are among the most popular cut flowers in the world.

Scientific Classification & Quick Facts

Common name	Gerbera daisy
Scientific name	Gerbera
Kingdom	Plantae
Phylum	Tracheophyta
Class	Magnoliopsida
Order	Asterales
Family	Asteraceae
Type	Flowering plant in the sunflower family
Habitat	Full sun; moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soil
Native range	Tropical Asia, Africa and South America
Size	Flower heads 7-12 cm across
Colours	Yellow, pink, white, red and orange
Special feature	Each flower head is made of many tiny flowers

Where Gerbera Daisies Come From

The genus Gerbera contains around 30 to 40 wild species, found mainly in Africa, Madagascar and parts of Asia. It was named in honor of Traugott Gerber, an 18th-century German doctor and botanist who traveled and worked in Russia.

Most garden and florist gerberas come from the Barberton daisy (Gerbera jamesonii) of South Africa, crossed with other species. They are sometimes called Transvaal daisies or African daisies, though other flowers share that last name too.

Gerberas are a big business. Only roses, carnations, chrysanthemums and tulips are traded more often as cut flowers.

What Makes a Gerbera Special

A gerbera bloom looks like one flower, but it is really hundreds of tiny flowers packed together into a flower head. The colorful “petals” around the edge are ray florets, and the center is made of small disc florets. This is the same trick used by sunflowers and other daisies.

Flower heads are usually about 2 to 5 inches (5 to 12 cm) across, depending on the variety. They sit on tall, leafless stems above a rosette of long, lobed leaves. Gerberas come in nearly every color except true blue.

How to Grow Gerbera Daisies from Seed

Photo by: Ziko van Dijk

Preparation for Planting

Start seeds indoors about 10 to 12 weeks before your last spring frost. Use fresh seed if you can, because gerbera seeds lose their ability to sprout fairly quickly. Each seed is long and thin with a fuzzy tuft at one end. Plump seeds usually sprout better than very thin ones.

Planting the Seeds

Fill a shallow tray with damp seed-starting mix, such as a peat-based or coir-based mix. Press each seed gently into the surface with the fuzzy end pointing up, and cover it only lightly, or not at all, because the seeds need light to sprout.

Keep the tray somewhere bright and warm, around 70 to 75 degrees F (21 to 24 C), but out of hot direct sun. A clear plastic cover helps hold in moisture. Most seeds sprout in one to three weeks. Remove the cover once they come up, keep the mix lightly moist, and give the seedlings plenty of light.

When the seedlings have a few true leaves, move them into their own pots filled with a light, well-drained potting mix.

Moving Plants Outdoors

Before planting outside, harden off your seedlings by setting them outdoors in a sheltered spot for a few hours a day for about a week. Then plant them after all danger of frost has passed, in rich, well-drained soil.

Here is the most important tip: plant gerberas with the crown, where the leaves meet the roots, sitting slightly above the soil. If the crown is buried, it can rot.

Bloom Season and Climate

Gerbera daisies are tender perennials. In warm places with mild winters, such as USDA zones 8 to 10, they can come back year after year. In colder areas, they are grown as summer annuals or brought indoors as houseplants for winter.

Outdoors they bloom from late spring until fall, with the most flowers in mild weather. Indoors, a bright, sunny window can keep them flowering for weeks.

How to Care for Gerbera Daisies

Photo by: Gerd W. Zinke

Gerberas need lots of light to bloom well. Give them at least six hours of sun a day, with some afternoon shade in very hot climates. They like soil that is rich, slightly acidic and drains well.

Water deeply, then let the top inch of soil dry before watering again. Water at the base of the plant in the morning, and avoid splashing the leaves and crown. Too much water is the most common way to kill a gerbera, because soggy soil leads to root and crown rot.

Feed every few weeks during the growing season with a balanced fertilizer, or one a little higher in potassium to encourage flowers. Snip off faded blooms and old, yellow leaves to keep the plant tidy and help prevent disease.

Common Problems

• Crown and root rot: caused by wet soil or planting too deep.
• Powdery mildew: a white coating on leaves, more likely in crowded, damp spots.
• Aphids, whiteflies and spider mites: small pests that can be washed off with a spray of water or treated with insecticidal soap.

Good news for pet owners: gerbera daisies are generally listed as non-toxic to cats and dogs, though it is still best to keep pets from munching on any houseplant.

With bright light, careful watering and a crown kept above the soil, gerbera daisies will reward you with big splashes of color in your garden or home.

Gerbera daisy FAQs

Related: rose · moss