Gazanias are some of the most interesting seasonals here in the GULF, with beautiful flowers looking as someone has painted them. They are also called Treasure flowers, native to South Africa, and bring color and an interesting take to your garden. As you can see from the pictures they come in a variety of colors, sometimes two tones as well.
Gazanias are warm weather natives sometimes called African Daisies but should not be confused with the Osteospermum natives who also use the name. They are drought tolerant and can grow in the GULF right up to May or so when you can move into the shade. They need to dry out between waterings and are a low-maintenance plant that brings much beauty to your garden.
Butterflies and Bees love them and if you are growing vegetables etc plant these in pots near your fruit trees and vegetable shrubs. Your produce will increase as the pollinators are attracted to the area near your vegetables.
Gazanias are prone to mealy bugs and mildew because of overwatering and need full sun in the winter to thrive here in the GULF. In the months of May and part of June move them to some shade and they will do fine. They don’t like humidity and will suffer and may die in the months of July and August. However, they are easily available as commercial saplings and can also grow from seed. They do not need much fertilizing and need neutral soil although they do fine in slightly acidic or slightly alkaline soils as well.
Some important tips for healthy happy Gazania plants are:
- They like well drained sandy soil so add some perlite to your potting mix.
- They need to be planted at leat 10 inches apart as saplings becuse they do spread out as they mature.
- Make sure you deadhead regularly for larger and more abundunt flowers.
Honestly, I find them the least fussy and the maximum value for the price and effort we need to put down.
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