The first of our Gerbera Daisies opened this week. These are red, but Gerberas can come in a variety of colors like white, pink, yellow and orange. The center of the flower is sometimes black. Often the same flower can have petals of several different colors. They get their name from the German naturalist Traugott Gerber.
Gerbera is also an important commercial flower. It is the fifth most used cut flower in the world (after rose, carnation, chrysanthemum, and tulip). It has approximately 30 species in the wild, extending to South America, Africa and tropical Asia.
There are several more buds ready to open on this plant. I just love springtime!
Click on the image above for a larger picture.