Ornamental · Asteraceae
Gazania
Gazania rigens
Give it full sun and dry feet, and the treasure flower flings open bold, daisy-bright blooms all season.
Full sun
Every 7–14 days
USDA 8–11
6–12 in · 15–30 cm
Overview
Gazania, the treasure flower, is a low, spreading daisy relative straight out of southern Africa, and it puts on a genuinely fun show. It fires off big, bold blooms in hot oranges, yellows, reds, and stripes on short stems just above a neat mat of leaves. Grow it as a tender perennial where winters stay mild, or run it as an annual anywhere colder, tucking it into beds, borders, and containers that grab full sun.
The best part is how little it demands to reward you. It thrives in poor, sandy soil, powers through drought once it roots in, and keeps pumping out flowers from spring well into fall. The one catch worth knowing is that the flowers chase the sun, flinging wide in bright light and shutting at night or under a gray sky, so a sunny spot buys the full display.
Hand it heat, light, and soil that drains fast, and gazania practically grows itself. Push too much water at it, though, and that same toughness flips against you, because soggy roots are the one thing it flatly refuses to survive.
Care
The short version: full sun, light well-drained soil, and a light touch on the watering can. Let the soil dry between drinks, deadhead the spent flowers, and feed lightly through the growing season.
Light
Gazania craves full sun, at least six hours a day. The flowers stay clamped shut in shade and only fling wide in bright, direct light, so hand it the sunniest spot you've got.
Water
Go light here. Let the top half of the soil dry out between waterings, roughly every 7 to 14 days once the plant is established, and back off further in cool or wet spells. It powers through drought, but soggy soil rots the roots and crown.
Soil
Plant it in light, well-drained ground, and it grabs even poor sandy soil with gusto. A pH anywhere from 5.5 to 7.5 works, and sharp drainage counts far more than richness.
Temperature
Gazania ranges across a wide band, from about 19°F to 90°F (-7°C to 32°C). It shrugs off summer heat and rides out a light chill, but a hard frost takes down a plant grown in the open.
Humidity
Plain outdoor air suits it, so there's no figure to chase. Damp, stagnant air is the thing to duck, since it invites powdery mildew onto the leaves.
Feeding
Feed lightly with a balanced general fertilizer through the growing season, about once a month. Gazania thrives in lean soil, so a gentle hand beats a heavy one and keeps it blooming rather than piling on leaves.
Pruning
There's no hard cutting back to tackle. Just deadhead the spent flowers as they fade, which keeps fresh buds firing and stops the plant from pouring energy into seed.
Size & spacing
Plants stay low and tidy, around 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) tall and about as wide. Give each one roughly that much room to spread so air moves freely and the mat fills in without crowding.
When to plant
Gazania runs on warmth and won't stand a hard frost, so time it around the heat. Start seed indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost, push the young plants out once the cold clears and the soil warms, and the blooms roll on from spring through fall until frost calls it.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Sow: 6 to 8 weeks before the last spring frost date
- Plant: After the last spring frost date once soil has warmed
- Harvest: Blooms spring through fall, often until first frost; flowering may pause during the hottest part of summer
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 8–11
Temperature: down to -12°C
Troubleshooting
Almost every gazania hiccup boils down to too much water or too little sun. Read the early signs on the roots, leaves, and flowers, and one small move usually turns it around. Match what you spot below, then jump on it before it spreads.
Brown, mushy stems and crown, and a plant that suddenly folds
A soft, browned base spells root and stem rot, and it traces straight back to too much water or soil that drains too slowly. Once the crown turns to mush the plant is finished, so pull it and toss it without hesitation. Then dial the watering right back, dig grit into the bed, let the soil dry between drinks, and the next planting powers ahead.
Fix:
- Reduce watering
- Improve soil drainage
- Remove and discard affected plants
A chalky white bloom racing across the leaves
That white dust is powdery mildew, a fungus that pounces when the air turns damp and stops moving. Strip off the worst leaves and throw the planting open so air can rush through. Aim the water low at the base instead of over the top, keep the foliage dry, and you knock the wind right out of it.
Fix:
- Improve air circulation
- Avoid overhead watering
- Remove affected foliage
Cottony tufts or a sticky sheen on plants overwintered inside
Plants that ride out winter indoors love to pick up mealybugs or aphids, which dot the stems with cottony fluff and a sticky honeydew. Blast the pests off, hit them with insecticidal soap, and repeat until the coast is clear. Park the affected plant well away from the rest so the trouble goes nowhere.
Fix:
- Wash off pests
- Apply insecticidal soap
- Isolate infested plants
Blooms that hold shut or barely crack open
Good news: nothing is wrong at all. Gazania simply shuts its flowers at night and on overcast days, then flings them wide open in bright, direct sun. Shift the planting to a spot that soaks up at least six hours of light and the blooms burst open on cue.
Fix:
- Site in full sun (6+ hours direct light)
Toxicity
Gazania is an easy one to welcome into the house and garden. It isn't listed as toxic, so cats, dogs, and grazing animals are all safe around it, and a curious nibble from a child or pet is nothing to sweat. Plant it wherever you please.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats None
Cats can share the space freely. A nibbled leaf or petal does a curious cat no harm at all.
Dogs None
Dogs are welcome in the bed too. Gazania holds no poison for them, so a stolen mouthful causes no trouble.
Horses Safe
Horses can graze right alongside it, since the plant packs no toxins that would bother them.
Rabbits Safe
Rabbits can chew the foliage all they like, and it poses no risk to them.
Livestock Safe
Cattle, goats, and sheep can crowd around it without concern, as nothing in the plant is toxic to them.
Birds Safe
Birds that dart in to peck the seeds or petals face no danger from it.
People Safe
It sits happily around children. Nobody grows it to eat, but a stray taste won't cause any trouble.
Varieties
Most gazanias you'll come across trace to a handful of breeding lines, sorted by how early they bloom, how they're colored, and how the leaves look. These are the ones worth chasing down by name.
Daybreak series (e.g. Daybreak Bright Yellow)
This compact bedding strain flings its flowers open earlier in the morning and holds them open longer than the older types.
New Day Tiger Mix
An early-flowering F1 mix that fires off bold striped, two-toned blooms, though it runs more prone to Phytophthora root and stem rot than most.
Talent series (e.g. Talent Orange)
It draws attention for its silvery-gray leaves as much as its flowers, which keep flinging open even when the light drops off.
How to propagate
Gazania is a blast to multiply, whether you raise a fresh batch from seed each spring or keep a favorite going by division.
SeedEasy
Start indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost; transplant outdoors after frost · Several weeks to form an established plant after transplanting
Seed is the go-to route for raising a whole bed of gazania, and it moves fast. Fire the seed up indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last frost, push the seedlings out once the cold clears, and give them a few weeks in the ground to charge into established plants.
DivisionEasy
Take basal offsets in late summer to early fall and root them · A few weeks to root and establish
Division is the trick for hanging on to a plant you love or a named cultivar through winter. Lift the basal offsets in late summer or early fall, root them indoors, and within a few weeks they grab hold and carry the same plant straight into next year.
Myths
Gazania needs frequent watering like most annuals.
Once it digs in, gazania asks for far less water than the average annual and powers through dry spells. Overwatering is the trap to dodge, because soggy soil rots the roots and crown from below.
Gazania flowers stay open around the clock.
The blooms chase the sun, snapping shut at night and on dull, cloudy days. They fling wide only in bright light, so a shady planting or a run of gray weather leaves them looking closed for long stretches.