Botanical name: Gerbera jamesonii • Family: Asteraceae
Native to: South Africa • Bloom: Late spring to fall • Symbolizes: Cheerfulness & innocence
Big, bright and impossibly cheerful, the gerbera daisy is one of the most popular cut flowers in the world — a bold, colorful daisy that lifts any room. Grown as a garden plant, a container flower and a florist staple, it packs a lot of happiness into one bloom. Here’s the gerbera daisy’s meaning, colors and care.
About the gerbera daisy
The gerbera daisy (Gerbera jamesonii) is a member of the enormous daisy family, native to South Africa. Its large, perfectly formed flower head — a ring of bright ray petals around a contrasting central disc — sits on a single tall, leafless stem, making it instantly recognizable.
Gerberas rank among the top five cut flowers globally, alongside roses, carnations, chrysanthemums and tulips. They’re grown as tender perennials in warm climates and as annuals or houseplants elsewhere.
Gerbera daisy meaning and symbolism
Gerbera daisies symbolize cheerfulness, innocence and purity, and their sheer brightness has made them a universal flower of happiness and positive energy. Like other daisies, they also carry meanings of loyal love.
Because they’re so uplifting, gerberas are a classic choice for get-well wishes, congratulations and simply brightening someone’s day. Their color adds nuance — pink for admiration, yellow for cheerfulness, red for love and orange for warmth.
Gerbera daisy colors and varieties
Gerbera daisies come in nearly every color except true blue, including red, pink, orange, yellow, coral, cream and white, often with contrasting centers. (Blue gerberas sold by florists are dyed.)
They range from single-flowered forms with one row of petals to full, densely petaled doubles, and from large-headed florist types to compact “Garvinea” and mini varieties bred for the garden and patio.
How to grow and care for gerbera daisies
Gerberas love full sun and light, well-drained soil. The single most important tip is planting depth: set the crown at or slightly above soil level, because a crown buried too deep is prone to rot. Water at the base rather than over the leaves, and let the soil dry slightly between waterings.
Deadhead spent blooms to encourage more flowers, and feed lightly through the growing season. In cold climates, grow gerberas in pots that can be moved indoors, or treat them as cheerful annuals.
Gerbera daisy in bouquets and gifts
The gerbera daisy is a florist favorite for bouquets, especially bright, modern and celebratory arrangements. Its bold color and clean form make it perfect for get-well and congratulations flowers, and it lasts well in the vase when the stems are kept clean.
Fun facts about the gerbera daisy
The gerbera daisy is one of the five most popular cut flowers in the world, alongside the rose, carnation, chrysanthemum and tulip. It’s named after the 18th-century German botanist and naturalist Traugott Gerber.
Gerberas come in almost every color imaginable except a true blue — any blue gerberas you see at a florist have been dyed. Their perfectly symmetrical form has even made them a favorite subject for studying flower structure.
Gerbera daisy quick care tips
- Grow in full sun with light, well-drained soil
- Set the crown at or slightly above soil level to prevent rot
- Water at the base, letting the soil dry slightly between waterings
- Deadhead spent blooms to encourage more flowers
- Feed lightly through the growing season
- In cold climates, grow in pots and overwinter indoors
When to give gerbera daisy
With their sunny, cheerful faces, gerbera daisies are the ideal flower for get-well wishes, congratulations, and simply brightening someone’s day. Each color adds a message — yellow for cheer, pink for admiration, orange for warmth.
Gerbera daisy FAQs
What does a gerbera daisy symbolize?
Gerbera daisies symbolize cheerfulness, innocence and purity, along with loyal love. Their bright, happy appearance makes them a classic flower for get-well wishes, congratulations and lifting someone’s spirits, with each color adding its own meaning.
What colors do gerbera daisies come in?
Gerbera daisies come in nearly every color except true blue — red, pink, orange, yellow, coral, cream and white, often with contrasting dark or green centers. Blue gerberas sold in shops are artificially dyed.
Are gerbera daisies annuals or perennials?
Gerbera daisies are tender perennials, hardy in warm climates (roughly USDA zones 8–11). In colder areas they’re grown as annuals or as houseplants that can be overwintered indoors.
How do you keep gerbera daisies from wilting?
Keep gerberas well hydrated with clean water, recut the stems at an angle, and remove any lower leaves. In the garden, water at the base and avoid burying the crown, which causes rot and sudden wilting.
Why is my gerbera daisy not blooming?
The usual causes are too little sun, a crown planted too deep, or over-feeding with nitrogen, which favors leaves over flowers. Give gerberas full sun, plant the crown at soil level, and deadhead regularly to encourage more blooms.
Do gerbera daisies come back every year?
In warm climates gerberas are perennials that return each year. In cold-winter regions they won’t survive outdoors, so they’re grown as annuals or kept as potted plants brought inside over winter.
See more types of daisies, browse pink flowers, and see the full flower encyclopedia.