Florists’ cineraria is a hybrid herbaceous perennial in the daisy family (Asteraceae) with parents originating from the Canary Islands. It is generally grown as a florist plant and forced to bloom during Christmas to Easter. It has a mounding habit and grows 12 to 18 inches high and 1 to 2 feet wide. This plant needs fertile, well-drained and constantly moist soil in partial shade. Florist plants, having been grown in ideal greenhouse conditions, are difficult to grow and rebloom and are often discarded after blooming. Daisy-like flowers cover the plant in winter to spring and come in multiple colors, often having a contrasting eye. In the garden, florists’ cineraria brightens a container and works well as an accent or border along a patio. In North Carolina, it is used as an annual or houseplant. Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems: Aphids, thrips, spider mites, white fly and leaf miner. VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Annuals, Perennials, Vines, and Groundcovers," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Fills a similar nicheBegoniaDianthus chinensis x barbatusImpatiens hawkeri
Full plant profile
Growing Conditions
Plant type
Annual; Herbaceous Perennial
Life cycle
Annual; Perennial
USDA zones
9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
Light
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 6 in. - 1 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Mounding
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf shape
Lanceolate
Leaf margin
Lobed; Serrate
Leaf feel
Rough
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Slightly lobed green leaves, broadly lance-shaped, sparsely haired with a rough texture and toothed margins
Flower color
Blue; Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy; White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Corymb
Flower shape
Radial
Flower detail
Multiple daisy-like blooms in several colors, often with a contrasting eye. Blooms winter to spring.