The gerbera is native to tropical regions of Africa, Asia and South America and is named in honour of a German explorer and naturalist Traugott Gerber (I am sharing that snippet with you because Traugott Gerber is a delightful name to say out loud – try it!).
Gerbera is a perennial which is very attractive to bees, butterflies and birds. It’s also the fifth most commonly used cut flower in the world, another example of the global interconnectedness of things. (OK: this next sentence will blow your minds…) In 2014, the EU imported 4 BILLION EUROS worth of cut flowers, about a quarter of which came from developing countries. 60% of the European flower trade hubs through the Netherlands.
(Sorry, still overwhelmed by that 4 billion Euros figure…)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerbera
Belgium annexed Congo in 1908 and controlled it until independence in 1960. You can read more about that here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgian_Congo
Stamp of the Day 