Gazania: How to Grow and Overwinter the Treasure Flower

Gazania - Perennial Annual for All Ornamental Gardens

The Gazania, also known as the treasure flower or African daisy, is a stunning ornamental plant that brings vibrant colours to any garden. This sun-loving perennial is perfect for beds, borders, rockeries, and containers, offering an impressive display from late spring through autumn.

Gazania Characteristics and Varieties

Gazanias are characterised by their large, daisy-like flowers that come in a spectacular range of colours including yellow, orange, red, pink, cream, and bronze, often with striking contrasting patterns and dark centres. The flowers typically measure 5-10 cm in diameter and close at night or during cloudy weather, opening fully in bright sunshine.

The foliage is equally attractive, with lance-shaped leaves that are often grey-green or silvery, sometimes with a white, woolly underside that helps the plant conserve moisture. Most varieties grow 20-40 cm tall and spread 20-30 cm wide.

Popular Gazania Varieties:

Gazania rigens - The most common species, available in numerous cultivars
Daybreak series - Compact plants with bright, contrasting colours
Kiss series - Early flowering with excellent weather tolerance
Talent series - Unique varieties with flowers that remain open even in cloudy conditions
Big Kiss series - Larger flowers up to 12 cm across

Growing Gazania Successfully

Gazanias are relatively easy to grow, making them perfect for both experienced gardeners and beginners. Here's everything you need to know about cultivating these beautiful sun flowers.

Location and Soil Requirements

Gazanias thrive in full sun - they need at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily to flower abundantly. The more sun they receive, the better they perform. They're ideal for hot, sunny spots where other plants might struggle.

These plants prefer well-drained, sandy or loamy soil with a neutral to slightly acidic pH (6.0-7.0). They're drought-tolerant once established and actually prefer drier conditions - waterlogged soil can lead to root rot. If your soil is heavy clay, improve drainage by adding sand, grit, or organic matter.

Planting Gazania

Plant Gazanias outdoors after all risk of frost has passed, typically from late May onwards. Space plants 20-30 cm apart to allow for spreading. They work beautifully in:

Mixed borders and flower beds
Rockeries and gravel gardens
Containers and hanging baskets
Coastal gardens (they tolerate salt spray well)
Mediterranean-style gardens

Watering and Feeding

Water newly planted Gazanias regularly until established, then reduce watering frequency. Mature plants are drought-tolerant and prefer the soil to dry out between waterings. Overwatering is one of the most common mistakes - it's better to underwater than overwater these plants.

Feed monthly during the growing season with a balanced liquid fertiliser to encourage continuous flowering. Avoid high-nitrogen fertilisers which promote leafy growth at the expense of flowers.

Maintenance and Deadheading

Remove spent flowers regularly (deadheading) to encourage more blooms and maintain a tidy appearance. This simple task can significantly extend the flowering period and keep your plants looking their best throughout summer.

Cut back straggly growth in midsummer if plants become leggy, which will encourage fresh, bushy growth and renewed flowering.

Overwintering Gazania

While Gazanias are technically perennials, they're frost-tender and often grown as annuals in cooler climates. In regions with mild winters (temperatures above -5°C), they may survive outdoors with protection. In colder areas, you have several options:

Bring containers indoors - Move potted plants to a frost-free greenhouse or conservatory
Take cuttings - Propagate new plants in late summer to overwinter indoors
Mulch heavily - In borderline areas, protect outdoor plants with a thick layer of mulch
Treat as annuals - Simply replace plants each spring

Common Problems and Solutions

Gazanias are generally trouble-free, but watch out for:

Aphids - Treat with insecticidal soap or encourage natural predators
Root rot - Prevent by ensuring excellent drainage and avoiding overwatering
Powdery mildew - Improve air circulation and avoid overhead watering
Flowers not opening - This is normal in cloudy weather or shade; ensure plants receive adequate sunlight

Why Choose Gazania for Your Garden

Gazanias offer numerous advantages for ornamental gardens:

Exceptional drought tolerance once established
Long flowering period from late spring to autumn
Low maintenance requirements
Attractive to pollinators, especially bees and butterflies
Stunning colour range with eye-catching patterns
Perfect for hot, dry positions where other plants struggle
Excellent for coastal gardens
Versatile - suitable for beds, borders, and containers

Whether you're creating a vibrant summer display, filling a hot, sunny border, or adding colour to containers, Gazanias are an excellent choice. Their sun-loving nature, spectacular flowers, and easy-care requirements make them a favourite among gardeners looking for reliable, colourful plants that thrive in challenging conditions.

In short: Gazania (treasure flower, African daisy) is a sun-loving, drought-tolerant plant that flowers from late spring to autumn. Give it at least 6-8 hours of direct sun, well-drained sandy soil and 20-30 cm spacing. Sow indoors from February at 21-24 °C and plant out once frost has passed, from late May.

Sunlight	at least 6-8 hours of direct sun daily
Soil pH	6.0-7.0, well-drained
Germination temperature	21-24 °C
Planting out	after frost, from late May
Spacing	20-30 cm
Overwintering temperature	5-10 °C, frost-free

Gazania Sun Flower

A sun flower from sunny Africa. Gazania (lat. Gazania regens, splendens). It belongs to the daisy family (lat. Asteraceae) or also composites (lat. Compositae). It also belongs to the order of higher dicotyledonous plants. Just like the daisy, it is suitable for group plantings. Very often they are planted in ornamental gardens as ground cover. They are not affected by temperature fluctuations and are not demanding on regular watering.

In the wild, they are often found at lower altitudes on so-called alpine meadows. They grow in South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania and Angola. Gazania has naturalized very quickly and now also grows in the wild in Australia, New Zealand, California and the Mediterranean.

Gazanias are perennial annuals. There are many colorful cultivars to choose from. They will be a decoration for your ornamental garden. Choose a sunny spot for them. They will bloom throughout the summer until late autumn.

Gazanias are of lower stature. They grow to a height of 20-25cm. They bloom for a long time. The flowers last in the ornamental bed throughout the summer. The flowers can be yellow, often orange and in other interesting bred color cultivars.

Gazanias are among the plants that will shine in your garden and in planters. Their distinctive flowers will cheerfully reflect the sun's rays. Choose from many shades. Yellow, white, orange...

Growing Gazania

Pre-grow Gazania seeds at home in a seed tray or use a propagation greenhouse. A propagation mini greenhouse is suitable for maintaining the optimal germination temperature of 21-24°C. Sow seeds as early as February. Prick out the emerged seedlings into individual pots and ensure that the temperature does not drop below 18°C. Plant out in outdoor locations no earlier than the second half of May.

Transplant Gazanias to a sunny bed. Choose the part of the garden where the sun shines longest. The soil should be lighter, well-drained and nutritious. Plant Gazanias at a spacing of 20x20cm.

If possible, plant Gazanias in group plantings. They stand out better this way. A community of several plants looks fuller than one single plant. Gazanias are of lower stature. Thanks to this, they are suitable for bed edges. They bloom from June to September.

Gazanias are not demanding on watering. If you forget occasionally, it doesn't bother them. We recommend watering always in the morning. This way the plants dry out during the day. This will limit the spread of fungal diseases.

Fertilize gazania with a fertilizer designed for ornamental flowering plants. Choose, for example, nutrient-rich fertilizer Floria KH. Apply the fertilizer to the substrate or as irrigation water. Don't worry, you can also water gazania on the leaves, which will increase its resistance. Flowers appear just a few days after applying Floria KH fertilizer.

Recommendation: Plant gazanias in group plantings. Choose several colorful varieties. Gazanias are suitable for cheerful and bright flower beds. For beautiful flowers, fertilize weekly.

Gazanias are commonly grown as annuals - perennials. If we want to grow the plants for another year, then overwintering is necessary. Remove the plants from the soil and clean the root ball from excess soil. Place them in a dry room where it doesn't freeze. Recommended temperature for overwintering is 5-10°C. This is an annual from Africa that is not built for overwintering directly in the flower bed. The roots should not dry out completely. In spring, prune the plant by half and replant.

Gazania is a ground-level plant. In the lower part, it creates a rosette of silver-green leaves. Flowers bloom on long stems.

Gazania interesting facts

Gazanias react very quickly to weather changes. When it gets cloudy and the sun hides behind clouds, they close their flowers. They also hide this way during rainy weather.

Gazania is not suitable for cutting. This is precisely because the flowers close. If you like it and would like to arrange it at home, use its interesting leaves and closed flowers.

Gazanias are plants with diverse leaves. They can have leaves that are lanceolate or lobed, slender or rounded. Silver hairs may appear on the leaves. This felt-like surface serves to better retain water in the leaves.

Gazania is a multicolored perennial. It will brighten up your garden. Choose according to colors and flowers. You can grow gazania as a balcony plant. Plant your window boxes. Gazania will entertain you. It blooms beautifully throughout the summer.

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Author: Hana Michalíková