A few months ago I made a trip to the local botanical garden for a hike and some flower photography. I had never been to this place before despite the fact that it’s not far from my home, and I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by everything I saw. There were plenty of different flowers, some native and some cultivated, but all quite pretty and well cared for. One of the cultivated flowers that was featured in several of the sunny areas was these treasure flowers (Gazania linearis), also known as striped treasure flowers, Colorado gold, and tiger stripe treasure flowers. They’re native to coastal areas of Southern Africa, but are now grown in most of the tropical and subtropical world as ornamentals. They are relatively easy to grow since they will grow in almost any soil type and are highly drought tolerant, due to a long taproot that can find moisture deep in the ground. Interestingly, these flowers are very much sun loving. They open during the day and close up when the sun goes down or on overcast days. One of the things I enjoy about going places like the botanical gardens is that I always learn a lot. It never stops impressing me how much nature has to offer and how well adapted most natural organisms are. Mother Nature is truly the ultimate artist.