Scientific Name
Gazania linearis (Thunb.) Druce
Common Name(s)
Treasure Flower
Synonyms
Gorteria linearis, Arctotis staticefolia, Gazania kraussii, Gazania linearis var. linearis, Gazania longiscapa, Gazania longiscapa var. longiscapa, Gazania multijuga, Gazania pinnata var. multijuga, Gazania stenophylla, Gazania subulata
Scientific Classification
Family: Asteraceae
Subfamily: Cichorioideae
Tribe: Arctotideae
Subtribe: Gorteriinae
Genus: Gazania
Flower
Color: Bright yellow and orange
Bloom Time: Spring to autumn
Description
Gazania linearis is a mat-forming or clumping perennial herb that grows from rhizomes. Leaves vary from narrowly elliptic and entire to deeply lobed. They are up to 4 inches (10 cm) long, up to 0.8 inches (2 cm) wide, dark green on the upper surface, and white-hairy on the lower surface.
The plant produces large, solitary, daisy-like, bright yellow and orange flower heads up to 3 inches (8 cm) in diameter. Fruits are tiny achene covered in very long hairs several times the length of the fruit body.
How to Grow and Care
Plant Gazanias in early spring, in full sun and well-draining soil, spacing multiple plants 12 to 18 inches (30 to 45 cm) apart to form a ground cover mat. These flowers can tolerate almost any type of soil — alkaline, acidic, loam, clay, and sand — as long as they have good drainage, though they prefer good, fertile loam.
Water the Gazania, keeping it moist after planting until you see new growth. Once growing on its own, this plant is quite drought-tolerant and only requires supplemental water during droughts of three weeks or more. However, water in the morning, as Gazanias can succumb to stem and root rots, powdery mildew, and leaf spot, can result from staying wet for too long.
Pinch off fading flowers with your fingers to encourage a longer bloom period. Prune annually in late winter or early spring, beginning in the second season, cutting the foliage back to 2 or 3 inches above the ground with pruning shears. This will refresh the plant and encourage new growth.
See more at How to Grow and Care for Gazania.
Origin
Gazania linearis is native to South Africa.
Links
- Back to genus Gazania
- Plantpedia: Browse flowering plants by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, or Origin
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