[4][5][1][6] They produce large, daisy-like composite flowerheads in brilliant shades of yellow and orange, over a long period in summer.

The genus was first formally described by German botanist Joseph Gaertner in the second volume of his major work De Fructibus et Seminibus Plantarum in 1791.

The genus occurs from low-altitude sands to alpine meadows[7] in South Africa, Eswatini, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Angola.

[8][13] Gazania species are grown for the brilliant colour of their flowerheads which appear in the late spring and are often in bloom throughout the summer into autumn.

It is commonly used as groundcover and can be planted en masse to cover large areas or embankments, assisted by its fast growth rate.