The cheerful, candy-colored blooms of gerbera daisies (Gerbera jamesonii) can grab an unwary gardener's attention at a grocery or home improvement store. They produce multiple single-stem flowers that are 10 to 14 inches tall in yellow, pink, orange, red and white. Sometimes called Transvaal daisies for their South African origins, gerbera daisies can be treated as annuals or a perennials depending on your climate and your commitment to the plant.
Gerbera Daisy Culture
Gerbera daisies need full sun, though they benefit from afternoon shade when temperatures are high. Soil needs to drain well, and heavy clay should be amended with compost. Because the plant is susceptible to crown rot and produces fewer flowers in wet soil, it is a candidate for raised beds and containers. Plant out when nighttime temperatures are above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Flowers bloom in early summer.
Annual or Perennial
Once an annual produces seed, its life cycle is complete, and the plant dies back. Perennial plants produce flowers and then seed several times, coming up from the same roots each year before dying back. Tender perennials are perennials that are susceptible to injury or even death when temperatures drop below freezing. While they may come back from their roots, they also might not, so they benefit from winter protection. Gerbera daisies are considered to be perennials in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 through 10, tender perennials in zone 7 and annuals in lower zones.
Cut gerbera daisy blooms back after they fade to keep the plants flowering all summer. The mother plants are evergreen during the dormant season in warm climates, meaning growth simply slows and flowering stops until spring. The plant forms clumps of lush, green foliage that stays low to the ground; divide the clumps in early spring to propagate more gerbera daisies of the same color.
In cooler areas where gerbera daisies are generally treated as annuals, you can overwinter them in pots in a sheltered, frost-free area that receives bright light. Water only enough to prevent the rootball from drying out. These plants put down deep taproots and don't transplant well once established. If you expect to overwinter plants indoors, plant them in pots and sink the pots in the soil, removing the pots when the weather turns cooler. In borderline hardiness areas of USDA zones 7 and 8 and cooler microclimates in zone 9, plant them in a protected area.
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