Common name: Gazania, Treasure Flower
Family: Asteraceae, Aster
Height x width: 8-10" high and wide
Growth rate: moderate
Foliage: glossy dark green above, silky white hairy below; mostly basal, linear entire to variously lobed; to 6" long; petiole long, tapered, winged or with 2 lobes
Flowers: solitary, large flowerheads 3-4" across, on long stalks (peduncles) held above leaves; solid colors of red, pink, orange, yellow, bronze or with contrasting central zones; flowers close at night and on cloudy days
Hardiness: annual
Soil: well-drained or sandy, tolerates light and dry soils; moderate fertility
Light: full sun
Pests and Problems: none serious; powdery mildew, fungal or bacterial leaf spots, crown rots, mealybugs
Landscape habit, uses: tolerates hot, dry and windy sites; massed in borders, flower beds, edging, containers; dry or xeriphytic gardens; seashores as plants tolerate salt laden winds
Other interest: native to South Africa; named for Theodore of Gaza who translated the botanical works of Theophrastus into Latin;
Other culture:avoid excess nitrogen
Propagation: seeds sown indoors 10-12 weeks before last frost;
sow cool (60F) and dark; cuttings or clump division as a perennial in warm
climates
Cultivars:may be seen listed under the species rigens (splendens);
those marked * are most commonly seen
| Cultivar | flowers | foliage, upper |
| ‘Bright Orange’ | orange, RHS AM, Fleuroselect | glossy |
| ‘Bronze’ | bronze red, dark center | glossy |
| Carnival Hybrids | mix | silvery |
| Chansonette Hybrids | mix, darker zones, 8-9" tall | glossy |
| ‘Daybreak Bronze’ | bronze | glossy |
| Daybreak Hybrids | mix, darker zones, early, 8-9" | glossy |
| ‘Garden Sun’ | yellow, orange center | glossy |
| Harlequin Hybrids | mix, darker zones, to 15" tall | glossy |
| Mini-star Hybrids | mix, some with zones, 8-9" | silvery |
| ‘Mini-star Tangerine’ | orange, All America/Fleuroselect | glossy |
| ‘Mini-star Yellow’ | yellow, Fleuroselect | glossy |
| ‘Red Stripe’ | yellow, red striped, Fleuroselect | glossy |
| ‘Sundance Mix’ | mix, striped petals, 4-5" across | glossy |
| ‘Sunshine Giants Mix’ | mix, darker zones or stripes | silvery |
| Talent Hybrids | mix | silvery |
Return to HGPO
course | PSS123 course