fandpa

Name

Named after Traugott Gerber, a German doctor. Usually pronounced JUR-bra. Infrequently called Transvaal Daisy or Barberton Daisy.

Origin

South Africa (Transvaal and Cape Province)

Colour

Gerberas offer an incredibly wide range of colours with every colour except blue represented (including fashionable shades of buff and maroon).

Availability

All year round

Family

Miniature gerbera (germinis) are available, as well as the standard size, and large headed types (bigger than your palm).

Varieties

There are over 200 varieties of gerbera and breeders have developed many variants from serrated or frilly petals to double flowers and extra wide petals. A new developement is the mini-gerbera or 'germini' which have the same wide choice of colours but are smaller and more appropriate for smaller flower arrangements.

Fancy varieties, such as the pasta gerbera (below right) are an exotic alternative!

Care tips

Only place a few inches of water in the bottom of the vase, otherwise the stem gets waterlogged and can rot.
This is because the little hairs on the stem act as gerbera’s leaves, so if they are put in very deep water, the flowers effectively drown!

Facts

Little-known 20 years ago, but now extremely popular and fashionable. Gerbera were first imported to Europe in the 19th century.