Red Gerbera Daisy flowers

Red Gerbera Daisy flowers

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Other Names:  Transvaal Daisy

Description:

Elegant red daisies with yellow centers rise above sea green foliage on this upright variety; perfect for garden beds, borders and containers; excellent in cut-flower arrangements; adaptable as a houseplant

Ornamental Features

Red Gerbera Daisy features bold red daisy flowers with yellow eyes at the ends of the stems from early summer to mid fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its tomentose oval leaves remain bluish-green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Red Gerbera Daisy is an herbaceous perennial with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep. Trim off the flower heads after they fade and die to encourage more blooms late into the season. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Red Gerbera Daisy is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting
• Hanging Baskets

Planting & Growing

Red Gerbera Daisy will grow to be about 12 inches tall at maturity extending to 16 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 12 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 18 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 3 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid. It can be propagated by cuttings; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Red Gerbera Daisy is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor containers and hanging baskets. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers against which the larger thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.