Types of Gerber Daisies and Leaves

Natives of South Africa, Gerber daisies (Gerbera jamesonii) typically bear large, brilliantly colored flowers that are prized for cutting gardens. Distinguished by one or two layers of petals around a golden center, the flowers range from 2 1/2 to 4 inches across. Most gerberas grow in vivid, sunny hues, including yellow, orange, coral, red and hot pink. If subtler colors better suit your taste, hybrids are also available in creamy white and seashell pink. Rosettes of dark-green leaves form an attractive background for all.

Growing Gerbers

Gerber daisies can bloom any time of the year in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 to 11, but flowering usually peaks in early summer and late fall. In regions outside the hardiness range, gardeners cultivate them as summer annuals. Although plant growth slows when the temperature drops below 65 degrees Fahrenheit, the daisies can be dug up and potted to overwinter indoors. You can also raise them as container plants from the beginning. "Happy Pot," a lemon-yellow cultivar, boasts stems shorter than the 1 1/2- to 2-foot norm, making it ideal for container culture. For long-lasting cut flowers, trim the daisy's stem at a sharp angle under warm water, continuing a 1/2-inch slit up one side of the stem.

Leaf Characteristics

Tongue-shaped, 10-inch-long leaves cluster around the tall flower stalks that each bear a single daisy. The foliage has a coarse texture and is lobed or wavy on the edges. Arranged in a rosette, the leaves form low mounds that are about a foot high, with the same width. Deep veins crisscrossing the leaves cause them to have a quilted appearance. Propagate the plant by dividing the clumps of leaves when the bed becomes crowded and flowering declines.

Leaf Care

Besides the full sun, Gerber daisies need frequent fertilizing during peak blooming periods and watering when the weather is dry for healthy growth, and special attention should be paid to the leaves. When deadheading the spent flowers, pinch off old or tangled leaves regularly to allow the plant to produce new leaves and flowers. If mildew appears following wet spells, remove the affected leaves. Bait or handpick snails and slugs, which can be a nuisance for Gerber daisies.

Thwarting Wildlife

Leaves, as well as flowers, of the gerbera attract hungry rabbits and deer, which may devour the plant down to the ground. You can use several organic remedies to deter the destructive wildlife. Natural scent repellants extracted from coyote or fox urine may protect the plants. Interplanting them with garlic, onions, Mexican marigolds or dusty Miller allows the buildup of scents that rabbits, in particular, dislike. If you sprinkle blood meal, ground hot peppers or hair from dogs or humans around your daisies, it is sometimes effective against animal snackers. Another strangely successful deterrent involves burying empty soda bottles in the flowerbed with the tops sticking up above the ground. The shrill whistle they produce when the wind blows can scare rabbits away.

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