Gazania rigens Zany Yellow seeds - Treasure Flower

Gazania Zany F1 Yellow is a horticultural hybrid derived from this Mediterranean species, renowned for its spectacular flowering and very compact habit. This selection stands out with its superb, intense yellow inflorescences, enhanced by a chocolate brown ring near the heart, which stand out magnificently against dense, dark green and glossy foliage. With rapid growth, young plants from seed sown under heated shelter at the end of winter can begin their flowering as early as May and maintain it without interruption until autumn. A small plant (approximately 20 cm in height), it quickly forms a spreading cushion that adapts equally well to low borders, rockeries or cultivation in planters. Perfectly suited to very sunny exposures, it tolerates periods of drought and heat without difficulty, making it an excellent option for Mediterranean gardens or south-facing balconies. Outside the mildest areas, it should be grown as an annual, but its decorative impact remains exceptional throughout the beautiful season.

Native to South Africa, Gazania rigens belongs to the vast Asteraceae family, which includes both ornamental species, such as Centaurea or Santolina, as well as food or aromatic plants (cardoons, salsify, Chamomile…). Among the 18 botanical species of the genus, G. rigens is the most commonly cultivated. It is also known by several synonyms such as G. splendens, Gorteria rigens or Othonna rigens. Like many plants from this region of the globe, it has evolved to resist drought and only opens its flowers in full light.
The Zany F1 series is the result of a breeding programme aimed at maximising floriferousness, growth regularity and compactness. The Zany F1 Yellow variety stands out with its regular 7 cm diameter heads, composed of vivid yellow peripheral ligulate flowers, marked at the base by a darker zone forming a sort of circle around the central disc. This disc is composed of very tight, small tubular flowers, characteristic of Asteraceae, formerly called "Composites" due to their complex floral structure. 
Spring sowings, carried out with pelleted seeds (easier to handle and germinate), allow for robust, well-branched clumps that quickly cover the space. To prolong and intensify flowering, it is advisable to remove faded flowers and feed regularly during the season with a potassium-rich fertiliser.

Whether in planters, window boxes or in open ground, this variety harmonises beautifully with other summer-flowering annuals, such as Impatiens, Bidens or Lobelias, to create dazzling floral displays. In southern gardens, near the coast spared by heavy frosts, it pairs ideally with similar perennials like Osteospermum, another floriferous beauty also native to South Africa. Aptenia cordifolia, a crassulescent ground cover with carmine pink flowers, will also be a good companion, and to add height to your display, choose reliable Echium candicans, or Pride of Madeira, with its magnificent blue spikes. Well adapted to coastal conditions, your Gazania will also thrive in sandy, well-drained soils, tolerating sea spray, wind and heat without difficulty.