Plant Finder

Moana Nursery High Desert Plant Finder & Guide

Group/Class:  Elephant Series

Brand:  Syngenta

Description:

A big and bright series that presents giant sized blooms; extra large, scarlet daisies rise above on thick, sturdy stems; excellent choice for containers, borders and beds; lovely in fresh cut flower arrangements; easy to grow and low maintenance

Ornamental Features

Elephant™ Scarlet Gerbera Daisy features bold scarlet daisy flowers with gold eyes at the ends of the stems from mid spring to early fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its narrow leaves remain green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Elephant™ Scarlet Gerbera Daisy is an herbaceous annual with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep. Trim off the flower heads after they fade and die to encourage more blooms late into the season. It is a good choice for attracting birds, bees and butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Elephant™ Scarlet Gerbera Daisy is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting
• Hanging Baskets

Planting & Growing

Elephant™ Scarlet Gerbera Daisy will grow to be about 16 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 16 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 8 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. This fast-growing annual will normally live for one full growing season, needing replacement the following year.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. This plant should not require much in the way of fertilizing once established, although it may appreciate a shot of general-purpose fertilizer from time to time early in the growing season. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid. It can be propagated by cuttings; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Elephant™ Scarlet Gerbera Daisy is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor containers and hanging baskets. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers against which the larger thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.