Have you ever received a gift of flowers or plants from someone? Perhaps a beautiful rose and lily bouquet or a pot of sturdy cactus? It may come from your significant ones, a dear friend, or your family member. Since a long time ago, flowers have been favoured to be given as presents, either on a casual or formal occasion. Have you ever noticed that each of these gifts usually contains a symbol or message? For example, the red roses are generally given by the sender for those they are romantically involved with, as red roses symbolize love and passion. These unique symbols are what makes a flower become such a thoughtful present to give. That includes the popular Gerbera Daisy, a popular breed of daisies that closely resembles the large flowering heads of sunflowers.
Gerbera is the name of the breed of daisy, also known as Transvaal or Gerber daisies. They have a wide bloom as wide as four or five inches, along with their satin-looking petals surrounding the centre. They originated and grew perennially in South Africa, but their popularity rose in England in 1890 as they travelled through the Netherlands and Columbia. Like any other flowers, this daisy has its own meaning and symbolism. This article will take you through a few facts about the flower, its short history, and the symbolism behind its beautiful blooms.
The history
These flowers were first named in 1737 after a German doctor and keen botanist named Traugott Gerber. The Latin name for it is Gerbera jamesonii, named after Robert Jameson, who found them in 1884 while digging up gold mines in Transvaal, South Africa. Now, this flower has been categorized into a wild flowering plant in the Asteraceae family.
These daisies have only started to be seen in florist shops ever since forty years ago. However, since their appearance has been so simple yet captivating, their popularity has never died until now and still everyone’s favourite.
The meaning in several cultures
The meaning and symbolism behind a gerbera flower are very varied according to each country’s culture and how people perceived it by the glance of its appearance.
- From their appearance, they seemed to be bright and cheerful flowers, emanating rays to the world to radiate happiness. People associate this bloom with happiness.
- During the Victorian era, gerberas were very popular as a gift of happiness.
- The Egyptian associates this daisy to resemble devotion to the sun and signifies closeness to nature.
- The Celts have believed that Gerberas can lessen the stress and sorrows of everyday life.
The symbolism and colour meanings
This beautiful and bright daisy is said to be the symbol of the simple beauty in a life full of happiness. Throughout the years, they are deeply associated with the innocence of children’s hearts, along with gratefulness for the life we have been given. Those must be why these bright blooms are often used as a flower to celebrate joyful life occasions. Take care not to use any of them for a regretful or sad event to avoid a wrong impression!
These flowers also have many colours, starting from red, orange, yellow, peaches, whites, and creams. Each of the colours also has different symbolism and meanings.
- Orange shades mean sunshine of life. You can offer them for your special someone, your best friend, or a family that has ever brought light into your life.
- Red shades mean sincerely in love. Wrap up a thoughtful bouquet of red gerberas as a gift for your significant ones. It is guaranteed that they will appreciate them a lot!
- White shades symbolize purity or a child-like innocence. This can be a perfect gift to bring as a wedding or baby shower gift for decoration. You can also use this shade for the bouquet in your wedding ceremony!
- Pink shades are associated with admiration, adoration, or high esteem. You can give them as a gift for someone you adore or admire.
- Yellow shades, like their bright colour, symbolizes cheerfulness. Offer them for your friend who needs a push to cheer up from their sadness, see if it can light up a smile on their face again!
Few curious facts about Gerbera
- Gerberas are included in the top five most popular flowers out of thousands of flowers worldwide.
- They always turn towards the sun like sunflowers.
- They are said to be the birth flower for those who were born in April.
- These daisies are available all year round.
- The Netherlands is said to be the country that produced the most Gerberas. Over 900 million of them are produced each year with 600 different colours, shapes, and sizes.
- The plants thrive in areas with full sun and sandy soil. They are not easy to grow, but once they bloom, it will prove to be very worth it!
