The Gerbera is commonly known as the African Daisy. A native plant of South Africa, it grows in well-drained sandy soils. This beautiful member of the Asteraceae family is also known as the Barberton Daisy and the Transvaal Daisy. These names are suggestive of the locations where the plant was first discovered. Botanically, the full name of the African Daisy is Gerbera jamesonii. The genus name "Gerbera" is derived from the family name of the German naturalist, Traugott Gerber while the species was named after Robert Jameson, who was the first to have collected live specimens of the plant.
Gerbera flowers are popular as cut flowers; they are pretty and elegant in their own right. Their daisy-like flowers come in a colorful array of crimson, cream, yellow, orange and pink. The hairy, deeply lobed leaves, which resembles the Garland Chrysanthemum (a steamboat vegetable, commonly called Tang Oh), serves to enhance the brightly coloured blooms. Nowadays, local nurseries carry hybrids both with single or double-petal blooms.
Growing Gerbera plants could be more economical than buying cut flowers in the long run. A well-grown plant will reward you with endless blooms which last longer than those dipped in a vase of water. Guys, if your girlfriend adores Gerbera, consider buying and growing a pot for her; she would certainly be swooned by your sincerity more than receiving a bouquet of cut ones from the florist.
