So we know the gerbera daisy was first discovered in 1884 near Barberton, South Africa, by a Scotsman by the name of Robert Jameson & German naturalist Traugott Gerber. 

But what else!? We want to know it all! 

We assume Jameson sent the plant to the Botanical Gardens in Cambridge, England. From there, the newly discovered gerberas made their way through England, eventually making their way to the Royal Botanical Gardens. 

Beginning in about 1890 in England, Richard Irwin Lynch carried out breeding programs resulting in many improvements. With the help of these improvements, gerberas began their journey on the road to popularity, fame, and success. 

Soon they were well known and well-loved throughout the Netherlands, where most modern breeding has occurred. 

In the 1920s, gerberas made their way to North America. Extensive breeding took place at the University of California at Davis during the 1970s that eventually led to many plants suitable for garden use. 

Breeding in Florida and Europe was more focused on developing long-stemmed cultivars for greenhouse cut-flower production, which is most commonly produced today in Japan and Europe, with most cut gerberas from Columbia surrounding countries in South America and the Netherlands. [2]