Mysterious, mutual respect and mutual love, those with perseverance fear no hardship, always happy, fond of pursuing a rich life

Gerbera is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Gerbera in the Asteraceae family. The leaves are basal, arranged in a rosette, the leaf blades are long elliptic to oblong, with the reticulate veins slightly obvious; the petioles have thick longitudinal ridges and are covered with hairs. The scape is solitary, or rarely several clustered together, the receptacle is flat and honeycomb-shaped, the outer corolla is ligulate, the ligules are pale red to purplish red, or white and yellow, oblong. The achene is cylindrical, densely covered with white short soft hairs. It is dirty white when fresh, and tinged with light brown when dry, flowering period from November to April of the following year.

Gerbera

Distribution range:

Native to Mpumalanga, Gauteng and Limpopo provinces of South Africa, and Swaziland. Introduced regions and countries include Cameroon, Costa Rica, Java, Jamaica, Cuba, Hispaniola, Nicaragua, Panama, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, Fiji, Australia, Tubuai Island, Mauritius, Reunion, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Myanmar, India, Estonia, Vietnam, South Korea, and China.

Gerbera

Propagation methods:

Sowing: Each gerbera flower can usually produce 20-30 seeds, which can be sown in spring or autumn; spring sowing is in March and May, autumn sowing in September and October. The germination rate of gerbera seeds is relatively low, only about 50%; after sowing, cover with paper to prevent direct sunlight, keep the temperature at 20-25°C, and they will germinate within about two weeks. Sixty to seventy days after sowing, when the seedlings have three or four true leaves, transplant them into flower pots or plant them out in the open field; with proper cultivation, flowering can be seen in two to three months.

Division: Gerbera division propagation is mostly carried out in March and April. First dig up the mother plant and divide it into several daughter plants; the daughter plants must have buds and roots, and should not be divided too small. When potted, they should not be planted too deep; it is best to plant them in holes in groups of two, as this helps increase the number of flowers.

Gerbera

Main value:

This species has bright colors and a beautiful form, and is one of the more popular ornamental flowers internationally. Gerbera can be used for cut flowers and potted plants, and can also be planted in large quantities in courtyard landscaping. When used as a cut flower, the fresh flower preservation period is about 14 days. Horticultural varieties of gerbera with shorter plant forms are also often used for tabletop decoration. When used as an indoor potted plant, this species can effectively purify the air. Research by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration of the United States has proven that gerbera can absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen throughout the night, helping people sleep.