The gazania, which is native to South Africa is also called sun-catcher. These sun-loving daisy shaped flowers, with vividly-colored petals, wow the eyes. They look pretty in containers, beds, borders, and as ground-cover. They come in rich shades of yellow, pink, purple, bronze, white, orange, red and coral. They love our Texas heat! They bloom from summer to winter. They are tolerant of drought and poor soil.
These plants bloom in all their glory during sunny seasons. It doesn’t need any pampering and can survive with basic needs. Gazania likes full sun, well-drained soil, and water. I’ll also point out that gazania needs watering only when the conditions are dry. Just like any other flowering plants, they will thrive in good soil, but can tolerate poor soil.
How to Grow Gazania
You may start growing gazania once the danger of frost has passed. I want you to pick a sunny location with well-drained, loose garden soil. When planting Gazania make sure your planting hole is twice the width of the root ball. After placing the roots into the hole, cover it thoroughly with garden soil and organic compost mix. Water the plant just enough to moisten the surrounding soil. Mulch the base of the plant to protect the roots. Make sure to space gazanias 9 to 15 inches apart. They will spread about 15 inches. They will also get about 15 inches tall so consider that when selecting for your garden bed.
Gazanias do not need frequent watering. But if you notice that soil from the surface has dried out, provide extra water. After they become established about two weeks, you may feed your plants with a water soluble fertilizer. Afterwards, Gazanias may only require feeding once every spring. In spring time, to promote a longer blooming cycle dead head faded blooms and old foliage with a bypass pruner. Clip spent blooms at the leaf node so fresh buds will form at this spot. I am going to caution you to not over water your plants since this can cause bacteria or fungi or root rot.
This is one of my favorite plants! It adds a bright pop of color to your yard and can be a little mistreated. It will quickly become one of your favorites also. This is a tough but beautiful plant that will be a great addition from Spring to Winter.