These cheery flowers can light up your garden as well as your houseplant collection.
A gerbera daisy is instantly recognizable for its vivid colors and bold silhouettes.
Theyre among the most popular choices for cut flowers in the world.
Credit: Justin Hancock
Instead of buying a bouquet, get even more blooms for your buck when you grow them at home.
The fresh-from-the-paint box colors are simple to combine for maximum impact.
Line your garden paths with their brilliant colors and plant enough to fill vases indoors.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Because they are native to South Africa, gerbera daisies grow well in warm areas such as California.
In cooler climates, they are grown as annuals.
Dig a hole for the plant twice the containers width but the same height.
Credit: Andy Lyons
Set the daisies 12 to 18 inches apart for good airflow, making them less likely to developpowdery mildew.
Sow the seeds on top of the mix and press them in slightly, but dont cover them.
They need light to germinate.
Credit: William N. Hopkins
After the seedlings emerge, remove the plastic bag.
When the seedlings are robust, they can be planted outside after your areaslast spring frost date.
Gerbera Daisy Care
Whether you grow them outdoors or inside, general care is simple.
Marty Baldwin.
Light
Northerners cangrow the daisies in full sunif the air temperatures are cool in their area.
In Southern climates, plant the daisies in an area where theyll catch morning sun and afternoon shade.
As a houseplant, give gerbera daisiesbright, indirect light.
Credit: Justin Hancock
A good-quality potting soil works well for planting in containers.
Gerbera daisies like plenty of moisture, but let the top inch of soil dry out between waterings.
Average humidity, both indoors and out, is suitable for growing gerbera daisies.
Credit: Helen Norman
Pruning
Deadhead spent bloomson your gerbera to redirect energy spent on seed production for continuous blooms instead.
Cut the flower stems off at the base when the blooms fade.
Potting and Repotting
To repot gerbera daisies, choose a pot with drainage holes.
Credit: John Reed Forsman
If all goes well, your gerbera daisy houseplant should live for up to three years.
The plant wont survive long indoors in temperatures above 70F, so place it in a cool spot indoors.
Water it sparingly during the winter months.
If not, use a mild soap spray when the sun is not shining on the leaves.
Water at the base of the plant to keep water off the leaves.
Wet foliage makes themmore vulnerable to fungal diseases.
Division
Mature gerbera daisies usually have multiple crowns, each with its own stems and roots.
Spring and summer are the best times to divide the daisy.
Gently brush the soil from the roots to see the crowns.
Replant the crowns immediately.
Remove any leaves from the bottom half of the cutting.
Firm the mix around the cutting with your fingers and mist the plant.
Cover it with a clear plastic bag.
Place it in bright, indirect light and mist it every day.
In 10-14 days, tug gently on the cutting.
Resistance indicates the cutting has rooted.
They need a temperature of 70F to 75F to germinate, so they are usually started indoors.
Fill a pot with seed-starting mix.
Poke holes in the mix and put a seed in each hole.
Press the seeds into the planting mix, but dont cover them.
Water the seed-starting mix well and cover the pot with clear plastic (or a plastic bag).
Monitor the pot or flat to keep the mixture moist.
Germination takes two to three weeks.
Keep the soil damp but not wet.
Types of Gerbera Daisy
Woman Gerbera Daisy
GerberaWoman bearsbright pink flowerswith fluffy pink centers.
Sombrero Gerbera Daisy
GerberaSombrero offers deep red flowers with purple-black centers.
It grows 10 inches tall.
Its a perennial in the warmest parts of the U.S. but is treated like an annual elsewhere.
Even without its fabulous scent,heliotropewould be widely grown in the garden.
It has a distinctive scentsome say it smells like cherry pie, others say a grape ice pop.
Still, others say its reminiscent of vanilla.
Lisianthus
Lisianthusflowers make people ooh and ahh.
Its such an elegant flower, youd never guess its native to American prairies.
Lisianthus is one of the best cut flowers, lasting two to three weeks in the vase.
Frequently Asked Questions
They bloom from late spring through fall.
After the blooms are cut, they last 10-14 days in flower arrangements.
Surprisingly for such a big, showy flower, they have no scent at all.
That doesnt stop bees and butterflies from being attracted to the blooms, though.
Avoid getting water on the flowers.
In winter, water sparingly.
The cause is likely either underwatering or overwatering.
Underwatering is indicated by droopy leaves; you should be watering whenever the top inch of soil feels dry.
Overwatering can lead toroot rot, which prevents the plant from absorbing the water it needs.
