Gazanias are popular in Australia because they do well in dry, poor soils and provide brightly coloured flowers over a long period.
Gazania At Balligar
We have an assortment of Gazanias growing themselves at Balligar. The brilliant colours and form of an unfurling bloom prompted me to make this coloured pencil rendering:
Gazania Orange by Helen Lock
Every Silver Lining…
Unfortunately the success of the Gazanias, which are native to South Africa, hinders regeneration of native flora and may have a flow on impact to native fauna. They can certainly add to the rabbit problem as rabbits are rather partial to eating them.
This means I’m in for some serious weeding to keep them under control now Autumn is here. I know I’ll be rewarded in spring with a show of native wildflowers too.
Hooroo!
🙂
Helen
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Even if they do draw rabbits, I’ll take a chance and see if they’ll grow in Colorado. We’re in for drought and already have water restrictions. Beautiful pictures.
Good call Marilyn. They are sunningly beautiful and relatively easy to keep under control. 🙂
Unusual but beautiful flower. I don’t think I’ve seen them before, thank you! With all that color, is a shame they’re so invasive
It is a pity that suce a beautiful flower is a threat. Could we train Bandicoots and Echidna to eat it and starve out the rabbits? Maybe? I remember the painting evolving and the flowers changing in shape and colour as the artise captured its moods.