Gazania

Did you know

• Gazanias are heliotropic — flowers open wide in the morning sun and snap shut by mid-afternoon or whenever clouds roll in.
• Many varieties have a contrasting dark eye-spot at the base of each petal, creating a striking ring effect that mimics insects to attract pollinators.
• Named after Theodorus of Gaza, a 15th-century Greek scholar who translated the works of Theophrastus into Latin.
• Their silvery-backed leaves reflect sunlight and reduce water loss, helping them survive in coastal sand dunes and rocky cliffs.
• In some parts of Australia and California, gazanias have escaped gardens and naturalized along beaches.

Color meanings

Uses

• Coastal gardens
• Drought borders
• Rock gardens
• Containers