Daisy, Daisy, Tell Me You Love Me True

Nature 4 Minutes

Daisies are one of two flowers for April.  This article from The Spruce details 7 of the most common varieties.

Daisies are a popular choice for gardens—and for good reason. Bright, cheerful, and easy to grow, the flowers are readily identifiable and are a mainstay of cottage gardens and classic perennial borders alike. But the term “daisy” is far broader than you may realize. There are multitudes of options when it comes to choosing daisies to grow in your garden.

The common name “daisy” is applied to a large handful of species within the huge Asteraceae family of plants, a group known for blooms that are flat and disc-shaped, with petals that form rays projecting outward from a central hub. The family also includes chrysanthemums, zinnias, asters, and sunflowers as well as many common weeds, such as dandelions. However, the daisy species that are best for your flower garden depends on several factors. A daisy that’s perfect for one growing zone might be a total pest in another.

Here are seven gorgeous species of daisies to consider for your garden.

Warning

Some types of daisies are considered weeds and are categorized by states as invasive (and thus discouraged), because they grow so rapidly, thanks to self-sowing and their robust nature. Check with your local county extension office before planting a new daisy variety.

English Daisy (Bellis perennis)

The common English daisy, Bellis perennis, has a somewhat deserved reputation for being a weed; it’s even considered invasive in some areas. The species has flowers with white rays and yellow centers, but there are many cultivars with semi-double and button flowers, such as ‘Galaxy Red.’ These cultivars are both showier and better behaved than the primary species. English daisies are hardy in growing zones 4 to 8 but are often grown as biennials in warmer zones and as annuals in cooler zones. These low-growing daisies, especially the showier cultivars, can make excellent ground cover plants.

Gerbera Daisy (Gerbera jamesonii)

The National Garden Bureau named 2013 the Year of the Gerbera, declaring the pleasing shape and luminous colors of the flower to be irresistible to gardeners. And we’re still in love with the species today. Unlike some daisies, this South African native is a tender perennial, hardy only in warm climates. However, the plants can thrive in a container garden and make fabulous cut flowers, as many florists and brides can attest. Gerbera daisies, also called African Daisies or Veldt Daisies, prefer morning sun, although full sun is tolerated in cooler climates. Irrigate the plants at soil level to keep water off the foliage and prevent fungal diseases. Look for the Festival series in a rainbow of colors, or try one of the lush, semi-double types, such as the peach-hued Cartwheel Chardonnay.

Marguerite Daisy (Argyranthemum frutescens)

The Marguerite daisy, Argyranthemum frutescens, also known as the cobbitty daisy, thrills gardeners with its blazing yellow and pink color choices as well as its demure white petal variety, which will thrive as a perennial in zones 8-10. These are annuals in all but the warmest growing zones, so they won’t return after winter, but you will get a full season of repeating blooms. Marguerite daisies are at their best during spring and fall when nighttime temperatures are below 75 degrees. However, if you shear them back in the summer, they’ll bounce back with a new flush of blooms when the autumn rains arrive.

Oxeye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare)

What’s considered a vigorous plant in one garden is considered a weed in another, and that’s true for the oxeye daisy, Leucanthemum vulgare. It’s a native flower in Europe, where the spreading nature and drought tolerance of the plants make them pasture pests. These short-lived perennials are discouraged in a dozen continental states because they’re considered invasive. However, in tamer settings, oxeye daisies are welcome for their three-month bloom time. Consider using them in a small, well-kept wildflower garden, or allow them to naturalize in your cottage garden.

Painted Daisy (Tanacetum coccineum)

The ease of care and vivid blooms of the painted daisy, Tanacetum coccineum, makes it deserving of a spot in every cutting garden. It starts blooming in early summer and may even put on a second, smaller showing in the fall if you deadhead the faded blooms. After the fernlike leaves appear in spring, watch out for aphids and leafminer. Varieties like ‘James Kelway’ are easy to start from seed or try the pale pink ‘Eileen May Robinson.’ Shasta Daisy (Leucanthemum x superbum)

A cross of the oxeye daisy and three other wild daisies yielded the beloved Shasta daisy, Leucanthemum x superbum, which received its common name from the white snow of Mount Shasta in California. The many cultivars of this daisy offer gardeners several different looks for their flower borders, ranging from the yellow ‘Banana Cream’ to the frilly, fringed ‘Phyllis Smith.’ The ‘Becky’ and ‘Alaska’ varieties are widely sold and look like the classic daisy flower seen in many cottage gardens. These plants bloom across a long season but reach their peak in June and July. Although they’re low-maintenance, Shasta daisies don’t like wet feet and will sometimes fail to reappear in the garden after a soggy winter. Divide the plants every two years to keep them vigorous.

Swan River Daisy (Brachyscome iberidifolia)

A warm-weather perennial from Australia, the swan river daisy produces small flowers, only about 1 inch in diameter. But the blooms are so colorful and abundant—and the flower works so well with other garden plants—that it can serve as a central feature of any flower garden. Lavender, blue, yellow, or white blooms appear in abundance from summer into fall, while the foliage is a softly textured gray-green hue.

FAQ

Which daisies bloom for a long period?

Shasta daisies, black-eyed Susans, and African daisies or osteospermum have a longer bloom period, blooming at least three months. Black-eyed Susans will bloom from June to September, and Shastas will produce flowers from July to September. Osteospermums start blooming in late spring, flowering through fall, but slow down during the height of summer.

Are all daisies perennial?

In short, daisies are perennial depending on your USDA growing zone. Marguerite and gerbera daisies are only perennial if grown in zone 9 or higher. Most other daisies are perennial down to zone 3 or 4. Do not confuse hardier golden Marguerites (Anthemis tinctoria) with Marguerite daisies; the two are two different species.

Which daisies are the easiest to grow?

Oxeye daisies are among the easiest daisies to grow. These quintessential daisies self-seed and grow easily; they’re even listed as invasive in Washington state. Before planting them in your region, check your local extension for invasiveness.

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Published by pat frederick

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172 thoughts on “Daisy, Daisy, Tell Me You Love Me True”

  1. we have to do our normal banana run this afternoon, so I;m gonna post the night stuff in case we don’t get back early enough.
    I am adding a short daily prayer to the board. I would invite each of you, if you wish, to also add one or maybe two of your own liking. I do not want to stifle anyone but please limit yourself to one or two religious postings. here’s one I found that I liked.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. I’m back – normal trip, nothing out of the ordinary; it’s actually hot enough that I started sweating on my way home! My thermometer on the patio reads 89 right now! There is a breeze, which makes it easier to take. Today, the two Clematis plants went out on the front porch where they will get morning sun but shade from late morning on and I think I’ll be leaving them all out tonight since it is supposed to only get down to 55-57.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. My old computer cannot see any of the pictures in today’s Daisy post!

    Some daisies commonly grown down here in the land of heat and humidity are called ‘October Daisies’ and they bloom in the early part of October. They are really a kind of chrysanthemum.

    They can be very leggy and fall over unless propped up – so when our daughters were little, they called them Knocked Over Daisies – that’s what they thought we said.

    The most common October Daisies here are a pretty pail orchid pink:

    And – they come in other colors -! https://www.trianglegardener.com/fall-blooming-daisies/

    Liked by 1 person

  11. “The Babylon Bee is suing California’s attorney general — California passed an unconstitutional censorship law. We’re suing to stop its enforcement.”
    SETH DILLON
    APR 12, 2023

    ENTIRE ARTICLE: “In 2022, California passed an unconstitutional censorship law called AB 587. We’re suing to stop its enforcement. I’ve tried to anticipate your questions below. If you have more, just drop them in the comments where they’ll be easily ignored.

    What’s AB 587? AB 587 is a new law in California that regulates social media companies. It requires Big Tech platforms to provide periodic reporting to the California Attorney General on several categories of speech, including misinformation, disinformation, extremism, radicalization, and hate speech. If the platforms don’t provide adequate reporting, the state will impose fines to compel compliance.

    How are they lying about the law to make it seem like a good thing? They’re claiming it’s just about “transparency.” That’s not true. This is a censorship bill, not a transparency bill. Here’s Gavin Newsom himself explaining why he signed the bill into law: “California will not stand by as social media is weaponized to spread hate and disinformation that threaten our communities and foundational values as a country.”

    But isn’t it a good thing if we have less hate speech and misinformation on the internet?

    It’s a good thing when people are allowed to speak freely. It’s a bad thing when Big Tech and the government work together to decide what we’re allowed to say. Why? Because they often get it wrong. Even worse, they get it wrong on purpose. As I said in my testimony before Congress, censorship guards the narrative, not the truth. In fact, it guards the narrative at the expense of the truth. In today’s post-truth, anti-reality world, describing a male person as a man is considered “hateful conduct.” If Big Tech is tasked by the state with eliminating hateful or misinformative content, they’ll stuff everything they don’t like into those categories, including opinions, jokes, and even factual statements. We’ve already experienced it first hand. We need laws that prohibit viewpoint discrimination, not laws that compel it under threat of penalties (and under the guise of good-faith content moderation).

    What are your legal arguments? In short, we argue that the law violates the First Amendment, is too vague to be constitutionally enforced, and violates the free speech guarantees in the California Constitution. You can read the full complaint here.

    Is anyone else joining you in the lawsuit? Yes, we’re joined by two other plaintiffs: Minds and Tim Pool. What outcome are you hoping for? We’re asking a federal district court to block enforcement of the law. So what happens next? I have no idea. I’m not a lawyer. And if I ask my lawyer he’ll bill me $800 for his answer.”

    Liked by 1 person

  12. “Did they secretly put Joe Biden’s face on the new 2023 American Women Quarters? Your daily dose of natural disasters and amazing phenomena for April 12, 2023…”
    STRANGE SOUNDS
    APR 12, 2023
    “It does look like him, doesn’t it? Looking up Eleanor Roosevelt…. I don’t see any resemblance at all. And what’s going on with the wonky neck too? I cannot stop laughing at that face…

    This is like when the U.S. Mint put those Coronavirus bats on the new quarters in 2020. I just don’t know what this implies…

    Dazzlingly detailed photo of a record sized solar tornado ’14 Earths tall’…

    Discover Eulagisca Gigantea, a strange-looking scale worm found in Antarctica with a glittering golden mane that makes it look like it’s from another planet…

    Liked by 1 person

  13. Issue: April 12, 2023
    “Republican Presidential Primary debate to be streamed exclusively on Rumble–Another win for the growing “cancel culture” resistant platform.”
    By Rick Findlay
    Posted 9:11 am

    ENTIRE ARTICLE @ ReclaimTheNet: “In an announcement, the Republican National Committee (RNC) has declared that growing online video platform Rumble has gained the exclusive online streaming rights to the Republican Presidential Primary debate in August. This exclusive event, coined the “Fox News Republican Primary Debate in collaboration with Young America’s Foundation and Rumble,” is slated to transpire in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this August. Notably, Milwaukee will also serve as the venue for the 2024 Republican National Convention.

    RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel shared her enthusiasm for the partnership with Fox News, Young America’s Foundation, and Rumble in a statement released earlier today. Fox News will have the TV broadcast rights, while Rumble will be the sole provider for the online stream.

    “I am so excited to announce that Rumble will be the RNC’s official streaming partner for the first Republican primary debate,” said RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel. “This is a big step for our party and country, as Republican leaders we must continue to hold Big Tech accountable for their biases and silencing of conservatives. People deserve a fair, unbiased platform and that’s exactly what this partnership will provide – an opportunity for voters to watch the next President of the United States on the Republican debate stage on Rumble.”

    Rumble is a growing free speech and creator-friendly alternative to Big Tech platforms such as YouTube and has made big steps towards hosting video content and livestreams to help creators not have to worry about constant deplatformings that take place on Big Tech who inject their own ideology into their policies.

    Rumble describes itself as a “high-growth neutral video platform that is creating the rails and independent infrastructure designed to be immune to cancel culture.” “Rumble’s mission to protect free speech is not just a slogan, it runs through the DNA of our company,” said Rumble Chairman and CEO Chris Pavlovski. “We are thrilled to partner with the RNC to bring the debate stage online and help promote open dialogue. Rumble saw record traffic and user engagement during the 2022 midterms, and we’re ready to be the premier platform for all candidates in the 2024 elections.”

    Liked by 1 person

  15. Love it. Sorry I’ve not been around but the weather is just wonderful.

    I love Shasta Daisy and so do the deer. Gerbera Daisy do come back if you have them in a pot and bring them inside

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  26. Right now at my Schnucks in Ladue there are huge stacks of cases around the beer aisle with sales and not a single case was missing or taken from the sales stacks. Like it hasn’t been touched all day.
    EducatëdHillbilly™
    @RobProvince
    ·
    23h
    In the end I honestly don’t care about Budweiser or it’s executives. I do care about the distributors, drivers, sellers, bar owners, etc that this stupid woman hurt and put their families in jeopardy to make some stupid woke statement.

    Liked by 1 person

  37. Liked by 1 person

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