Gerbera jamesonii

RHS Plant Profile

Barberton daisy

Conservatory Greenhouse Herbaceous Perennial

An evergreen, clump-forming perennial with deeply-lobed, dark green leaves with woolly undersides and up to 45cm long. Erect stems bear solitary, daisy-like flowerheads up to 12cm across in shades of red, orange, pink or yellow with yellow centres from late spring to late summer

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 2–5 years
Max Spread: 0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height: 0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Loam Sand

Moisture: Well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun

Aspect: South–facing or West–facing
Exposure: Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H1C

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Asteraceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Clump forming
Genus: Gerbera are perennials with basal rosettes of leaves from which emerge hairy stems each bearing a daisy-like flowerhead; flowers can be single or double and in shades of yellow, orange, red, white, pink or purple
Name Status: Correct

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in fertile well-drained soil in a sheltered position in full sun; ideal for patio containers grown in a peat-free, loam-based potting compost (JI No.2) and may be overwintered under glass in colder areas. See Gerbera cultivation for further information

Propagation

Propagate for home use by division in early spring or by basal cuttings, or heel cuttings from side shoots, in summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Coastal
Cottage and informal garden
Patio and container plants
Conservatory and greenhouse
Cut flowers
Flower borders and beds
Wall side borders

Pruning

No pruning required, but deadheading will encourage more flowering

Pests

May be susceptible to glasshouse whitefly, chrysanthemum leaf miner, aphids, and tarsonemid mites

Diseases

May be susceptible to grey moulds, leaf spot and root rot