Ursinia chrysanthemoides var. geyeri is a versatile herbaceous plant that can be grown as a perennial but will do best in its first year of growth and hence is often treated as an annual. It forms mounds of blood red/crimson flowers all year round but especially in spring and summer. It can be grown as a pot plant or as a bedding plant in an annual herbaceous border. It has two requirements for good growth: good drainage and a lot of sun. Remember this is essentially a desert plant. If the soil is too stodgy and wet it may cause the roots to rot. If it does not get enough direct sun, excess moisture on the leaves may cause fungal infections and the plant may rot-we have experienced this at Kirstenbosch. This plant is amazingly versatile in that it can grow in both a very hot and dry garden provided it gets well established during the cool winter months, or in a lush, moist garden. It is also hardy and can withstand temperatures of up to -5ºC.

This plant is surprisingly easy to propagate especially from cuttings. Older, low branches nearer the ground often have exposed ready-formed aerial rootlets appearing at the nodes. If propagating from these shoots, they can be ground-layered into the soil or removed and planted directly into the soil in the ground or in a pot and should sprout fairly easily, especially in the cooler winter months. If propagating from newer, softer shoots, they can be rooted in a glass of water providing the submerged part of the stems have been removed of leaves and the water is changed on a daily basis. Rooting hormone is not necessary but will speed up the rooting process. It should be noted that a single clone planted in isolation will not produce any seed. It will need to be grown alongside a number of other genetically different plants to produce viable seed.

Propagation from seed should take place in autumn and seems to be most successful when the seeds have been treated with smoke beforehand. This amazing germination trigger we have found has a marked effect on the germination of all manner of plants-even those that would never naturally encounter fires, such as this one. This can be done using the Kirstenbosch smoke disks available at the Kirstenbosch seedroom. Soak the seeds in a smoke solution for 24 hours and sow either directly into the ground (preferable) or in a seed tray of well-drained, sandy soil. Cover the seeds with about 5 mm of pure river sand. Although not tested, stratifying the seeds in the fridge for a couple of weeks should also stimulate uniform germination. Germination will normally happen within 2-3 weeks. If in a tray, carefully prick out the seedlings only after they have produced their second set of true leaves. Plant directly into a pot or in the ground. Plants will respond dramatically to modest doses of organic fertilizers such as fish emulsion or pelleted chicken manure. Kelp-derived growth stimulants also help with plant health and vigour.

This plant seems not to attract many pests. Snails are always a problem, however. The main cause of premature death is rotting caused by excessively wet leaves or soil.

If you are planning to maintain the plant as a perennial, regular pruning is required. Prune back the plants by ¼ at the very end of spring as summer temperatures start to rise (even if the plants are still in flower!). This pruning will relieve the water burden on the root system and promote a second flush of growth that will be better adapted to the hot summer conditions. Take care not to prune too hard-if cut back to bare stems the plants may not resprout at all! If not under irrigation and the summer conditions are dry, the plants will hopefully recede to a semi-dormant state and remain like this until it rains again in autumn. A light pruning again at the end of summer just as the temperatures start to drop will again reduce the leaf mass and re-invigorate the plant to sprout again for the winter months. Very little watering is required in winter, unless conditions are dry. If one plans to actively grow the plant in summer, dripper irrigation is recommended as this will keep the leaves dry and infection free.

Plants are slow to get going in their first 2 to 3 months from seed or cuttings but build up pace quickly and grow very vigorously especially during summer. In the wild, plants will probably last about 3 years but in cultivation no more than 2 years can be expected, unless well cared for.