Gazania (genus)

Japanese name: ガザニア
Scientific name: Gazania

[Overview]
A perennial 15–40 cm tall that exudes white latex when injured.
Many basal leaves grow in tufts.
The leaves are spatulate-linear to lanceolate, and some are pinnately lobed.
A large head flower is borne singly at the tip of a long flower stalk.
The flowers open in sunlight and close in the evening and on cloudy days.
It is characterized by the involucral bracts, which are arranged in two rows and fused together to form a bell-shaped to cylindrical cup.

[Cultivation]
Propagate by division or shoot cuttings.
It prefers sunny, well-drained, moisture-retentive, airy soil.
It dislikes excess moisture, so avoid poorly drained soil and grow it in a well-ventilated place.
If sunlight is poor, the flowers do not open.
It tolerates temperatures down to about -5°C, but in cold regions grow it in a pot and bring it indoors to a bright windowsill in winter.
Even in areas where it can be grown in the open ground, protect it from the cold with a straw mulch or the like where frost is a concern.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface has dried.
For plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient.
It tolerates dryness, so it is good to keep it slightly on the dry side.
Apply basal fertilizer, and also slow-release fertilizer in spring and autumn.
Leaving spent flowers tires the plant, so cut them off at the base of the flower stalk.
If the plant becomes dense and stuffy, thin out the crowded leaves before the rainy season.
Pests and diseases include powdery mildew, aphids and thrips.

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