Gazania ‘Double Gold’

Gazania 'Double Gold' (Gazania rigens 'Double Gold') is the groundcover for the strip of garden nothing else will hold: hot, dry, poor soil, full sun. It stays low at about 250mm tall and spreads to 400mm, throwing double golden orange daisies over grey green foliage for most of the warm season. Planted 30cm apart it closes over bare ground in a single season.

Why you'll love it

• It flowers for months. The double blooms come in waves from spring through to autumn, and the display stops only in real cold.
• Poor soil is no barrier. Sand, gravel, compacted fill and salt spray are all fine, which makes it a genuine answer for nature strips and coastal front gardens.
• Very little water. Once roots are down it lives on rainfall in most seasons, so it belongs in a waterwise planting.
• Bees and butterflies use it. The open flowers are easy to work, and a mass planting keeps pollinators in the garden all summer.

Where it works best

Groundcover and mass planting. Plant 30cm apart for a solid mat within a season. On a slope this spacing also holds soil together while the plants knit.

Rockeries and hot edges. Between stones, along a driveway edge or at the top of a retaining wall, where reflected heat and sharp drainage suit it perfectly.

Coastal gardens and borders. Salt wind does not mark it, and a low edging band of 30cm plants softens a path without ever needing clipping.

Growing Gazania 'Double Gold' in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun only. The flowers close in shade and on dull days, and shaded plants stretch and thin. It suits warm temperate, subtropical, Mediterranean, arid and semi arid, and cool temperate gardens. It takes light frost only, so in hard frosting districts treat it as a warm season plant and expect winter damage.

Soil. Free draining, and the poorer the better. Heavy wet clay is the one thing it will not accept, so on clay build a raised bed with coarse sand or gravel through it. Mulch lightly, and keep mulch off the crowns.

Water and feed. Water weekly for the first two months, then only in extended dry spells. Feeding is rarely needed; rich soil and heavy fertiliser give soft growth and fewer flowers.

Trimming. Shear the whole planting back by a third after the main flowering flush to keep it dense and encourage a second wave. Remove any patch that thins out in the centre and replant.

What to expect when it arrives

It is sold as tube stock and in 140mm packs of 10. Tubes are the economical way to cover a large area, since a fast grower like this closes the gap quickly. The 140mm plants are further along and give a filled look within weeks, which suits a short border or a pot.

Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Expect new growth within three to four weeks in warm weather and flowers in the first season. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• A guide to groundcover plants for coverage rates and spacing.
• Compare the full groundcover range.
• See other rockery plants for hot, sharply drained positions.
• Browse plants for coastal areas that handle salt wind.

Common questions

How many plants do I need?

At 30cm spacing, about eleven plants per square metre. A pack of ten covers roughly a square metre of solid cover, or a metre and a half of narrow edging.

Does it spread beyond where I plant it?

It self seeds readily, and it has naturalised on roadsides and coastal dunes in parts of southern Australia. Keep clippings and seed heads out of bushland, and check your state or council weed listings before mass planting near natural areas.

Why are the flowers closed?

Gazania flowers open with strong light and close in shade, on overcast days and at night. If yours stays shut, the position is too shady rather than the plant being unhealthy.