Out of Africa - Garden Plants – Gerbera

Name - Named after Traugott Gerber, who lived from 1710-1743. He was a German physician and naturalist who grew up in Poland, dying in Russia in his thirty-third year, on a plant-hunting expedition. It’s still rather a mystery as to why the South African Gerbera was named after a little known Polish doctor! The plant is also called Transvaal Daisy or Barberton Daisy.

Description – Gerberas offer an incredibly wide range of colours with every colour except blue represented and look like extremely large daisies.

Origin – The plant originates in South Africa There are over two hundred varieties and in addition, breeders have developed many variants from frilly petals to double flowers and extra wide petals. For home cultivation, the gerbera needs warmth and bright light. As a perennial it should be sited in full sun, and well-drained soil. In cool or moist areas plants need excellent drainage and shelter from the cold and most will need to be brought in for the winter, Jersey, Guernsey and Torquay being about the only areas where this plant can be trusted to survive our cold, wet winters.

For Decoration - Careless picking can leave behind a spot that can become infected. Instead of cutting the stem, waggle it at its base until it pulls away cleanly. To arrange the flower cut off the hairy white part on the bottom of the stem, or the flower won't be able to absorb any water. Replace the water regularly and note that this plant is sensitive to contaminated water (including fluorides and other treatments) which may lead to the flower bending down its neck. If this happens, cut an inch from the bottom of the stem and place into fresh, filtered, water

Africa Gerbera photograph by polandeze, used under a creative commons attribution licence

 

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