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.
