Gazania Identification Guide

Key Identifying Features

Gazania (Gazania rigens and hybrids), often called treasure flower, is recognized by its large, brilliantly colored daisy flowers — frequently marked with contrasting bands, stripes, or dark spots at the petal bases forming a ring around the center. The flowers open in bright sun and close at night and in cloudy weather, atop a low rosette of often silvery-backed leaves.

• Daisy-like heads 2–4 inches across
• Bold colors with contrasting rings/stripes near the center
• Flowers that open in sun, close when dark or overcast
• Low, ground-hugging rosette 6–10 inches tall

Leaves & Stems

Leaves form a basal rosette and are lance-shaped or lobed, dark green on top and noticeably silvery-white and woolly underneath (and sometimes on both sides). Each flower is held on its own leafless stalk rising just above the foliage. The plant spreads into a low, mat-like clump, making it a good groundcover.

Flowers & Fruit

Each head is a classic composite daisy: a ring of strap-shaped ray petals around a central disc. The defining feature is the bold patterning — petals in orange, yellow, red, pink, cream, or bronze often bear a darker stripe down the middle or a dark, sometimes white-dotted ring at the base of the rays. Flowers track and respond to sunlight, closing at night. Bloom runs through the warm season; small seeds with fluffy pappus follow.

How to Tell It Apart from Look-Alikes

• Gerbera daisy: Larger, on tall single stems, lacks the contrasting basal ring and the silvery leaf undersides, and flowers do not close at night like gazania.
• Osteospermum (African daisy): Similar low daisy, but its flowers often have a metallic blue/purple center and bluish disc; gazania centers are typically green/yellow with patterned ray bases.
• The sun-responsive daisy with contrasting petal rings + silvery rosette leaves identifies gazania.

Where You'll Find It

Gazania is a tough, drought- and heat-tolerant plant from South Africa, used as bedding, edging, groundcover, and container color, especially in hot, sunny, coastal, or xeriscape gardens. It thrives in full sun and sandy, well-drained soil and tolerates salt and poor soil. It is grown as an annual in cold climates and a perennial where winters are mild.

Quick ID Checklist

• Large daisy flowers with contrasting rings or stripes near the center
• Flowers open in sun, close at night/clouds
• Low basal rosette of leaves, often silvery underneath
• Flowers on individual leafless stalks
• Thrives in hot, dry, sunny spots