Refined varieties of gazania - the famous African chamomile

The amazing world of flowers and plants never ceases to delight grateful nature lovers. Various varieties of gazania, which are distinguished by their amazing color and originality, do not stand aside. This flower belongs to the "Astrovye" family, and very much resembles a large chamomile. In most cases, after the first acquaintance with the plant, it is impossible to forget it. Therefore, gazania is increasingly appearing in backyard or city flower beds.

The plant is highly resistant to parasites and various diseases. But in case of improper care, gray rot may appear.

At the first sign of infection, the bushes should be removed at the root. The rest are treated with special phytopreparations. Learn about coreopsis in our next article!

Habitat and intricate names

The plant came to Europe from the exotic country of Mozambique, where various varieties of gazania grow in the wild. When our ancestors saw the flower, perhaps they thought, "What a magnificent chamomile!" But that was only the first impression. Looking closely at the plant, botanists noticed a unique feature. Only at the onset of midday heat, its delicate petals open in all their glory, decorating the flower arrangements of the garden.

In nature, the flower is found throughout the African continent and in distant Australia.

Before considering the varieties of gazania, let's get acquainted with its intricate names. Some call the flower "Midday Sun" for its unique ability to open buds during strong sunshine. Remembering its origin, the plant was given the nickname "Nomad from Mozambique". In Russia, flora admirers call the flower “African chamomile”. And for some it is just an exquisite garden gatzania. Whatever the name of this wonderful flower, it deserves special attention from gardeners.

General description of the plant

African chamomile is grown in flower beds as an annual or perennial flower. It fits wonderfully into the landscape design of a country house. The artsy beauty has graceful leaves of various shapes in the form of a root rosette. Most often they are dark green, sometimes with a bluish tint. On the back of the leaf plate, you can see the silvery villi.

They are faithful protectors of the flower from the cold. And in times of drought, they retain water to feed the delicate gatsania buds. The height of the plant reaches approximately 30 cm, so it always looks stylish and attractive on the territory of the summer cottage. Inflorescences are single baskets, the diameter of which can be from 5 cm to 9.

Depending on the variety, they can be painted in the following colors:

• Orange;
• red;
• bright yellow.

Each flower consists of reed petals arranged around a variety of miniature tubular buds. One plant produces about 35 cute "smiling" African daisies in one season. After flowering, unique fruits appear in the form of a hairy achene with an intricate tuft at the top.

Some gardeners grow a flower in flowerpots as an ampel decoration. In this case, it should be fed at least once every 2 weeks.

Fancy varieties of gazania for every taste

Gardeners believe that African chamomile is the most striking specimen of the Aster family. There are at least more than three dozen different species of this exotic flower. The unique property of the plant to close its buds on cloudy days does not affect its popularity in any way. Let's try to carefully consider the varieties of gatsania from the photo in order to appreciate its unique beauty.

Shiny

An elegant bush of African chamomile of this variety cannot be overlooked among the summer flowers in the country flower bed. Its main feature is exquisite buds. They are revealed only in bright sunlight. The rest of the time gazania shining modestly hides under the "veil" of closed petals of bright inflorescences.

Gardeners count several types of brilliant gazania. The most popular ones are:

• Dance of the sun;
• Kiss mix;
• Garden star.

Depending on the species, the buds are colored in different shades. The most common colors are yellow, blood red, orange or brown.

In order for a plant to always delight the heart, it is necessary to monitor whether its pests (aphids, spider mites and snails) have appeared on it. If insects are found, the plant should be treated with a special substance.

Muse

The large-flowered gatsania of this species is a graceful annual growing up to 29 or 30 cm in height. It has a root rosette consisting of several leaf plates. During flowering, stems rise from it, crowned with huge buds. Outwardly they resemble chamomilebut its petals are slightly bent back. The plant loves sunny open spaces, fertile soil and moderate watering. The flower can also be grown in containers as a houseplant.

Talent

Lovers of garden flowers often plant hybrid Talent in the flower beds. The plant is distinguished by silvery leaves, against which stately daisies grow.

They come in a variety of colors, but the most popular are:

• snow-white;
• orange;
• yellow.

Reed elements often have darker tones, which makes the flower unique and attractive.

Pink F1

A beautifully flowering hybrid with delicate inflorescences fits wonderfully into the garden landscape of a country house. Pink gatsania has large buds, consisting of delicate petals, painted in two tones. The outer part of the light pink color smoothly turns into a rich shade. The center of the flower is framed by a dark circle, in the middle of which there are yellow tubular flowers. Truly a chic combination.

Peacock

The most famous representative of perennial gazania is this particular variety. It is distinguished by a miniature peduncle and long leaf plates covered with a white edge. Often their size reaches 20 cm. The buds of peacock gazania are most often painted in bright yellow or orange. They appear in July and are pleasing to the eye until early October.

This unique plant has been observed to withstand frosts up to 7 ° C.

Wide application in landscape design

Of course, artsy gazania is wonderful for shaping various types of garden designs.

Thanks to long flowering, it looks original in a company with the following flowers:

• lobelia;
• calendula;
• asters;
• majors;
• Iberises.

The ampel gatsaniya depicted in the photo fits wonderfully into the exterior of the veranda, gazebo, terraces and balconies. Bright inflorescences give the territory an exquisite and unique look.

Often, African chamomile is used to decorate borders. The plant is planted along garden paths in small groups. It looks gorgeous when it blooms. In landscape design, gatsania is widely used in the formation of alpine hills, various flower beds and rockeries. Most often, such popular varieties are grown as gazania Brilliant, Peacock, Cirrus, Snow-white. It is impossible to remain indifferent to this lovely African guest.