Ornamental · Asteraceae
Gerbera Daisy
Gerbera jamesonii
Give it full sun, sharp drainage, and a dry crown, and the gerbera daisy throws bright blooms from spring to fall.
Full sun
Every 3–7 days
45–75°F · 7–24°C
120–150 days
Overview
The gerbera daisy carries some of the boldest color in the garden, with wide, flat flowers in reds, pinks, oranges, yellows, and white. It hails from South Africa, where it grows as a tender perennial, and belongs to the same big family as sunflowers and asters. Most gardeners outside the mild zones grow it as a bright annual or keep it in pots they can move.
It earns a reputation as a little particular, and the reason is almost always water. The plant has a low crown that rots the moment it sits wet, so the trick is rich, fast-draining soil and a watering habit that lets the crown dry between drinks. Get that right and the rest is easy.
Give it full sun, room to breathe, and a deadheading every week or so, and it rewards you with months of flowers held on tall, clean stems. Those same stems make it one of the best cut flowers you can grow at home.
Care
The short version: full sun with a little afternoon shade where it's hot, rich and sharply drained soil, even moisture with the crown kept dry and high, and a deadheading habit to keep the blooms coming.
Light
Gerbera daisies want full sun, which means six or more hours a day. A little afternoon shade is welcome where summers run hot, but too much shade leaves you with leggy plants and few flowers.
Water
Keep the soil evenly moist but never soggy, and let the crown dry out between waterings. Water at the base early in the day, and skip overhead sprinkling, since wet crowns and foliage are how rot and disease get started.
Soil
Plant in rich, well-drained loam with plenty of organic matter worked in. The plant prefers things on the acidic side, around a pH of 5.5 to 6.5, and good drainage is the single most important thing you can give it.
Temperature
It does best in the range of 45°F to 75°F (7°C to 24°C) and won't take a frost. Heat beyond that range can stall flowering, so a touch of shade helps in the hottest part of summer.
Humidity
Ordinary humidity suits it fine, so there's no target to hit. Airflow counts for more than any humidity number, because crowded, still air invites powdery mildew.
Feeding
Feed every two weeks through the growing season with a balanced liquid fertilizer, or use a controlled-release feed applied 2 to 3 times across the year. Watch for iron and manganese shortfalls, which show up as pale new leaves, and correct them when they appear.
Pruning
There's almost no pruning to do beyond deadheading. Snip off the spent blooms as they fade and the plant keeps pushing new ones, often for months.
Repotting
Move a potted gerbera into fresh mix every 1 to 2 years, or sooner if you see roots circling, flowering tail off, or the soil drying out fast. Always set the crown right at the surface, never below it.
Size & spacing
Plants stay compact, reaching 6 to 18 inches (15 to 46 cm) tall and spreading 9 to 15 inches (23 to 38 cm) across. Give each one room and good airflow to keep mildew at bay.
When to plant
The gerbera daisy is a warm-season plant with no tolerance for frost. Start seed indoors in late winter, set plants out once the spring cold has passed and the soil has warmed, and enjoy the flowers from late spring right through autumn.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Sow: 8 to 10 weeks before the last spring frost
- Plant: after the last spring frost when soil has warmed
- Harvest: late spring through autumn
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 8–10
Temperature: down to -12°C
Troubleshooting
Most gerbera trouble traces back to water sitting where it shouldn't, with pests a distant second. Watch the crown and the leaves, since that's where the first signs turn up. Match what you see below and act early.
Mushy brown rot at the base and a plant that flops over
This is crown and root rot, the most common way to lose a gerbera daisy. It sets in when the soil stays too wet or the crown gets buried, and the plant wilts even though the ground is soaked. Pull the affected plants, replant with the crown sitting right at the soil surface, and water at the base early in the day so the roots can dry out.
Fix:
- Remove affected plants
- Improve drainage with raised beds or containers
- Replant with the crown level at the soil surface
- Water at the base early in the day
A white, dusty film spreading over the leaves
That coating is powdery mildew, a fungus that moves in when air is humid and plants sit too close together. It wipes off the foliage and can yellow the leaves underneath. Open the planting up for better airflow, keep water off the leaves, and reach for a fungicide only if it gets out of hand.
Fix:
- Improve air circulation
- Avoid wetting foliage
- Apply an appropriate fungicide if severe
Speckled yellow leaves, fine webbing, or twisted new growth
These are the calling cards of sap-sucking pests such as spider mites, aphids, thrips, and whiteflies. Check the leaf undersides, where you'll spot the insects themselves or, with mites, a faint webbing. Rinse the foliage first, then treat with insecticidal soap or neem oil and repeat as the label directs until the pests are gone.
Fix:
- Rinse foliage
- Apply insecticidal soap or neem oil
- Repeat applications as directed
Toxicity
Good news for pet owners and parents alike: the gerbera daisy is non-toxic across the board. The ASPCA clears it as safe for cats, dogs, and horses, and there's no toxin to worry about for other animals or curious children.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats None
Safe around cats. The ASPCA lists the gerbera daisy as non-toxic, so a curious nibble won't do any harm.
Dogs None
No worries for dogs either. It carries no toxins, though a dog that wolfs down a lot of any plant might get a passing upset stomach.
Horses None
Horses can graze near it without trouble. The ASPCA clears it as non-toxic to horses.
Rabbits Safe
Rabbits are fine around the flowers and foliage, with nothing toxic to cause harm.
Livestock Safe
Grazing livestock face no poisoning risk from this plant.
Birds Safe
Pet and backyard birds can share space with it safely, since it holds no toxins.
People Safe
Harmless to people, including children who might handle the bright blooms.
Varieties
Gerbera daisies come in countless colors, but a few named selections stand out for what they bring to a planting. These are worth seeking out by name.
Mardi Gras
A bold pick grown for its mix of bright ray colors on a single plant.
Rainbow
A series that delivers a wide spread of flower colors on tidy, compact plants.
Green Kermit
An unusual one with double blooms set off by a striking green center.
How to propagate
You can multiply a gerbera daisy two ways: splitting a clump you already grow, or raising new plants from seed. Both take some patience, but neither is hard.
DivisionModerate
Early spring or after flowering · Several weeks to a few months
Lift and split a mature clump in early spring or once it has finished flowering, keeping the crown of each piece right at the soil surface. Each division takes anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of months to settle in and grow on its own.
SeedModerate
Start indoors 8 to 10 weeks before last frost · Several months to first bloom
Start seed indoors 8 to 10 weeks before the last frost, and sow it on the surface since gerbera seed needs light to sprout. Keep it warm and evenly moist, then be patient, because a seed-grown plant takes several months to reach its first bloom.
Myths
Gerbera daisies are toxic to cats and dogs like many other daisies.
This one mixes up the gerbera with its troublesome cousins. The ASPCA lists Gerbera jamesonii as non-toxic to cats, dogs, and horses, and it isn't the same plant as the daisy relatives that do cause problems.
Gerbera daisies like to be kept constantly soggy.
Wet feet are exactly what harms them. Soil that never dries brings on crown and root rot, so plant in well-drained ground and let the crown dry out between waterings.