Did you know that Gerbera/Jarbera daisy, a type of flowery plant is planted and cultivated mainly for their attractive, colorful flowers and overall pleasant aesthetics, and fill up pots for its colorful statement?
Gerbera/Jarbera daisy plants or simply Gerberas with about 30 varieties of flowers, frequently self-grown flowers across the tropical and temperate zones, originated from Africa and Asian continents and belongs to “Compositae” family. It is named in honour of German botanist and medical doctor Traugott Gerber (1710-1743). They are members of the vast the Asteraceae (daisy family), which includes sunflowers, chrysanthemums, and asters, They are also known as Transvaal daisy or Bar berton daisy or African daisy. In the Indian continent, Gerbera is well distributed from Kashmir to Nepal at altitudes from 1200 meters to 3000 meters. They grow as one of the well-known commercial crop in states such as Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamilnadu, West Bengal, Jammu & Kashmir and other Himalayan regions, in a wide range of climatic conditions, and bloom in a wide range of colors. Notable fact is that the Gerbera flower can be grown all over India through ‘greenhouse farming’.
In botanical terms , Gerbera is a tender perennial plant, the inflorescence of which is made up of many individual flowers : an outer row of ray flowers surrounding an " eye " of disk flowers. The blooms may be singles with a green center and a row of non - overlapping petals , or rays. It bears a large capitulum with striking, two-lipped ray florets in yellow, orange, white, pink or red colours. The capitulum, which has the appearance of a single flower, is actually composed of hundreds of individual flowers. Flower initation takes place cenripetally. The morphology of the flowers varies depending on their position in the capitulum. The flower heads can be as small as 7 cm (Gerbera mini 'Harley') in diameter or up to 12 cm (Gerbera ‘Golden Serena’). The domesticated cultivars are mostly a result of a cross between Gerbera jamesonii and another South African species Gerbera viridifolia. The cross is known as Gerbera hybrida.
Planting a Gerbera is easy by transplanting, because it’s very difficult to propagate from seed. Its flowers grow best in areas with slightly sandy, well-drained soil. and in regions with tempaerature range of 13-24 Degree Celsius. The plant is watered thouroughly with fertilizers: added to the palnt every 2 weeks while blooming time with balanced liquid fertilizer.
Gerbera flower color variation has been studied since the emergence of genetics as a scientific discipline in the early twentieth century. Early gerbera breeders have identified flower color as an important component. It is the fifth most used cut flower in the world (after rose, carnation, chrysanthemum, and tulip). It is also used as a model organism in studying flower formation.
An ever - fresh classic gerbera is considered the hippest flower on the market and appear even better in mixed bouquets. Originally grown for cut flowers, now have been used as a florist pot crop and for outdoor use as bedding plants.
Gerbera is used for traditional arrangements and also very popular for wedding purpose. Gerberas are versatile blooms which are used as mass flower also. It carries a magical meaning of purity and strength.
- Narasipur Char
