Gazania (x) splendens Sunshine Hybrids

The 'Sunshine Hybrids' Gazania is a variety of flamboyant colours. The large flowers, measuring 7 to 10 cm in diameter, havel an exotic appearance and come in bright orange, bright yellow, white streaked with pink, and yellow streaked with red. The plant, although not very hardy, is very compact and highly floriferous, even in hot and dry conditions. From spring to the first frost, it brings life to sunny borders and containers. Outside Mediterranean regions, Gazania is grown as an annual plant.

Gazania, also known as Treasure Flower, is an Asteraceae plant with a daisy-like silhouette found throughout tropical Africa. It is a perennial cultivated as an annual in Europe. The 'Sunshine Hybrids' Gazania is a compact cultivar that forms a small clump of leafy stems measuring no more than 20 cm in all directions within a few weeks. The early and prolonged flowering period lasts from May to October if faded flowers are regularly removed. At the end of the branched stems, solitary inflorescences resembling large daisies, measuring 7 to 10 cm in diameter, form. Each one has a double row of outer ligules positioned in a staggered pattern. This collar of outer florets surrounds a centre composed of tubular central florets, giving it a velvety appearance. The flowers tend to close when the sun goes down. The basal leaves of the 'Sunshine Hybrids' Gazania are oval, leathery, fairly dark green and glossy on the upper side, and silver-grey on the underside.

Sow the 'Sunshine Hybrids' Gazania under shelter in late winter and spring, before planting them in small clusters in the borders of flower beds, combined with more subdued-coloured plants. Plant them in full sun, in the warmest spot in the garden, in well-drained soil, preferably sandy and dry. They do not tolerate stagnant moisture, but if you water them sparingly and regularly, they will be even more beautiful. They thrive in rock gardens and on slopes, as well as in raised beds. Their compact size also makes them suitable for planting in containers or pots, under a veranda or in a patio.