Daisy flowers are pretty and classic, and they can make any garden look better. With their famous white petals and bright yellow centers, they are the perfect summer flower. However not all daisies are created equal. Shasta daisy and oxeye daisy are two popular types of daisies that may look alike at first glance but are actually very different. It is important to be able to tell these two plants apart because oxeye daisy is often considered a noxious weed.
What is a Shasta Daisy?
Shasta daisy (Leucanthemum x superbum) is a hybrid flower bred by horticulturist Luther Burbank in the 1890s. Burbank crossed European and American daisies to create a robust plant with elegant white blooms and lush, deep green foliage.
Some key features of Shasta daisies:
- Grows 2-3 feet tall with a 1-2 foot spread
- Large flowers up to 5 inches across with bright yellow centers
- Dark green leaves up to 4 inches long that are not deeply lobed
- Blooms throughout summer
- Perennial in zones 4-9
Shasta daisies are beautiful cut flowers that also bring pollinators to your garden. They spread slowly, clumping together over time, so they won’t usually become invasive.
What is Oxeye Daisy?
The oxeye daisy, or Leucanthemum vulgare, is a plant that is native to Europe but has spread to North America. Oxeye daisy, which is also called common daisy or dog daisy, has white and yellow flowers that look a lot like Shasta daisy’s. However, there are some clear differences between the two:
- Grows 1-3 feet tall with a bushy, spreading habit
- Smaller flowers around 2 inches wide
- Deeply lobed, toothed leaves 2-6 inches long
- Blooms spring through summer
- Short-lived perennial but self-seeds readily
- Considered a noxious weed in many states
One major issue with oxeye daisy is its aggressive spreading habit. Each plant can produce over 200 seeds, which allows it to quickly colonize open areas. Oxeye daisy tends to choke out native plants and create single-species stands where diversity once flourished. For this reason, it is banned in some states and discouraged from being planted in gardens.
How to Tell Shasta and Oxeye Daisies Apart
Telling Shasta and oxeye daisies apart does take some close inspection. Here are a few tips:
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Size: Shasta daisies grow significantly taller, up to 2-3 feet compared to 1-2 feet for oxeye daisy.
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Leaves: Shasta daisy leaves are long, narrow and not deeply cut. Oxeye daisy has deeply lobed, toothed leaves.
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Flowers: Shasta daisies have larger blooms, around 4-5 inches wide versus 2 inches for oxeye.
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Habit: Oxeye daisy is a vigorous spreader that expands rapidly. Shasta daisy stays neatly clumped.
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Classification: Oxeye daisy is considered a noxious weed in some states, while Shasta daisy is solely grown ornamentally.
Should You Grow Oxeye Daisy?
In general, oxeye daisy should be avoided in home gardens. It has beautiful white flowers that bloom for a long time, but because it grows quickly, it’s not good for gardens. Oxeye daisy can quickly get out of the garden by spreading its own seeds, and it can become a problem in the wider landscape. It also easily combines with other daisy-related plants to make hybrids that can also spread.
Instead of oxeye daisy, choose alternative daisy varieties or flowers from the extensive Asteraceae family. Some options include:
- Shasta daisy – iconic, elegant blooms that stay where planted
- Echinacea (coneflower) – vibrant pink or white flowers; drought tolerant
- Rudbeckia (black-eyed Susan) – bright yellow, long lasting blossoms
- Gaillardia (blanket flower) – bold red and yellow flowers on compact plants
- Coreopsis – abundant delicate yellow or white daisy-like flowers
How to Grow Shasta Daisies
Shasta daisies make an excellent substitute for oxeye daisies in perennial gardens. They provide the same classic daisy look but are better behaved. Here are some tips for growing Shasta daisies:
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Sun: Plant in full sun for best flowering; will tolerate light shade.
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Soil: Average garden soil with good drainage; avoid overly wet soil.
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Planting: Start with nursery transplants in spring after the last frost. Space 12-24 inches apart.
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Care: Provide moderate water when first establishing. Mature plants are quite drought tolerant. Fertilize lightly in spring if needed.
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Division: Clumps can be divided every 2-3 years in spring or fall to rejuvenate.
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Hardiness: Rated for zones 4-9; provide winter mulch in colder climates.
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Pests/problems: Generally pest and disease free, but may be affected by powdery mildew, Septoria leaf spot, or stem rot in excessively damp conditions. Slugs may chew leaves.
The Best Blooms for Your Garden
When choosing daisies for your garden, opt for well-behaved beauties like the Shasta daisy over potentially invasive oxeye daisy. Pay close attention when purchasing daisy plants, as some wildflower mixes may contain oxeye daisy. With its elegant blossoms and easy care nature, Shasta daisy is sure to become a treasured part of the summer garden.
How Daisy Types are Classified
As an example of how big the daisy family is, we’ve put together a full explanation of how the most common daisies are classified taxonomically, along with a picture gallery of 94 of the world’s most common daisies.
Family: Asteraceae
The daisy belongs to the Asteraceae family. With over 1,500 genera and 23,000 species, it is the largest family of flowering plants. Sunflowers, chrysanthemums, daisies, and even lettuce are all in the same family. Daisy flowers have a single flower head made up of many small flowers, called florets, that are surrounded by rays of longer petals. The “aster” in Asteraceae refers to the resulting star-shaped construction of the flower heads belonging to this family. The Asteraceae family is often called the Compositae or “composite” family because some flowers are made up of two parts.
Subfamily: Asteroideae
The Asteroideae subfamily contains over 70% of the species in the entire Asteraceae family. It contains over 21 tribes, including: Astereae, Anthemideae, Calenduleae, Heliantheae, and Perityleae, which include most types of daisies.
Tribe: Astereae
The Astereae tribe consists of over 2,800 species and includes many of the most recognizable daisy flowers we all know. Many of these daisies are classified into various genera, including: Bellis, Chaetopappa, and Townsendia.
Genus: Arctotis Native to Africa, many of these flowers have now become naturalized in the United States. Some daisies within this genus are stemless, such as the Arctotis acaulis. The name Arctotis is derived from the Greek word “arktos”, meaning bear, which could refer to the shaggy hairs found on the fruit.
Genus: Bellis The Bellis genus includes the common daisy, also known as the English daisy (Bellis perennis), as well as other common daisy species. The common daisy originated in Europe, and its popularity fueled its distribution across the globe to the United States, where today it has become a common weed. Characterized by a rich yellow center with rays of long white petals, the flowers in this genus have the quintessential characteristics we all recognize in a classic daisy.
Genus: Monoptilon Known as the desert star, or daisy desertstar, these types of daisies are native to the southwest desert of the United States. Most commonly found in the Mojave Desert, the desertstar is a small wildflower that thrives in dry and open areas and begin to flower in late winter.
Genus: Townsendia Known as the Townsend Daisies, the name Townsendia is derived from the birthplace of the man who discovered this genus of daisies. William Jackson Hooker made his discovery in 1833, and was from a town called Townsend, Pennsylvania. All 25 species of Townsend daisies are native to western North America and flourish in dryer climates.
Tribe: Anthemideae The tribe Anthemideae contains 111 genera and approximately 1800 species. Members of this tribe have mostly originated from Central Asia, the Mediterranean and Southern Africa. Many of these plants have natural compounds that act as anti-infectious agents and are used in pharmaceuticals.
Genus: Argyranthemum Known as the marguerite daisies (Argyranthemum frutescens), all of the subspecies within this genus are cultivars that have resulted from hybridization. These daisies are effective at attracting butterflies, and have become quite popular in gardening due to their wide array of colors.
Genus: Chrysanthemum The Chrysanthemum gets its name from the Greek words “chrysos”, meaning gold, and “anthemom”, meaning flower. This is because the first chrysanthemums that appeared in China were golden-colored and were used for their herbal healing properties that ranged from reducing high blood pressure to lowering cholesterol. A common synonym for this genus is Tanacetum, and the two names are used interchangeably. The most common daisy in the Chrysanthemum genus is the painted daisy (Tanacetum coccineum).
Genus: Leucanthemum This genus is home to the oxeye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare), a wild daisy that gave rise to the Shasta daisy (Leucanthemum x superbum). This species was developed by Luther Burbank who crossed a European oxeye daisy with three other Leucanthemum daisies plus a Japanese field daisy. Today, the Shasta daisy is the most popular daisy in this genus from which many other ornamental cultivars have been bred.
Tribe: Calenduleae The Calenduleae tribe is one of the smaller tribes of the Asteraceae family. Flowers within this tribe usually have quite showy flower heads, and the plant types within this tribe vary from herbs to shrubs. The tribe gets its name from Calendula – an anti-inflammatory substance that is present within the petals of marigolds, which belong to the Calendula genus within this tribe. Although the Calendula genus mostly includes marigolds, there are several daisy types within this tribe that belong to the Osteospermum genus.
Genus: Osteospermum Also known as the “daisybushes”, these perennial daisies are native to Africa. However, due to their popularity, these African daisies have been distributed around the world and many exotic cultivars have been bred. Most of these cultivars are hybridizations of the two main Osteospermum species: Osteopermum jucundum and Osteopermum ecklonis. Daisies belonging to this genus are not to be confused with the Dimorphotheca – which look highly similar but are annuals instead of perennials.
Tribe: Heliantheae There are 2,500 species within this tribe, with the most recognizable being the sunflower. Other common plants include echinacea, stevia and zinnias. Besides flowers, many of the plants in this tribe are also shrubs and herbs that grow in dryer climates.
Genus: Echinacea Also known as coneflowers, flowers belonging to this genus exhibit prickly spines on the flower head. Its name is actually derived from the Greek word “echinos”, meaning sea urchin or hedgehog. These drought-tolerant plants are well-known for their medicinal properties and are used in herbal remedies.
Subfamily: Mutisioideae This subfamily contains 44 genera and 630 species. Plants from this subfamily are primarily found in South America, with the exception of three genera – the most popular of which is the Gerbera genus.
Tribe: Mutisieae The Mutisieae tribe is one of three major tribes of the Mutisioideae subfamily, containing 14 genera and 200 species. There has been much debate as to the lineage of this particular tribe, however recent research has suggested that plants belonging to this tribe are differentiated enough from the other existing tribes to be classified as its own group.
Genus: Gerbera Originating from Africa, daisies from this genus are largely cultivated around the world today for their showy flowers. Most cultivars of the gerbera daisies that we see today are hybrids of Gerbera jamesonii and Gerbera viridifolia. These two daisy species are also known as Transvaal or African daisies due to their origins in South Africa. The name Gerber refers to Thomas A. Gerbera, a botanist who traveled around Europe studying plants.
Types of Daisies Compendium
As you can see, daisies have origins that range from Europe to China, and from Africa all the way to North America. To illustrate the scope of all the different daisy varieties that exist, we’ve created a compendium of the most popular daisies that shows how these flowers are categorized.
Who knew that the world of daisies could be so vast? It’s clear to see that the name “daisy” does not only pertain to the classic white flower with the yellow center. If you’re feeling inspired by daisies, you can browse our daisy bouquets, which feature the beautiful Gerbera daisies mentioned in this guide! If you’d like to know more about other types of flowers, we’ve also created other visual compendiums for types of roses and types of orchids as well.
Shasta Daisy -The longest blooming flowering perennial?
FAQ
Is oxeye daisy an invasive plant?
Ox-eye daisy is an aggressive invasive species. Once it’s here, it can quickly spread through meadows, forests, and riparian areas where it hasn’t been disturbed. It forms dense stands that tend to displace native vegetation, especially wildflowers.
How to identify a Shasta daisy?
erect clump, sparsely branched, about 3 feet tall. alternate, long-oblanceolate, coarsel and bluntly toothed. solitary heads on long stalks, flowers are about 3-4 inches across, ray flowers white and disc flowers yellow.
What is another name for the Oxeye Daisy?
Leucanthemum vulgare, commonly known as the ox-eye daisy, oxeye daisy, dog daisy, marguerite (French: Marguerite commune, “common marguerite”) and other common names, is a widespread flowering plant native to Europe and the temperate regions of Asia, and an introduced plant to North America, Australia and New Zealand.
Should I remove Oxeye daisy?
(pulling, cutting, disking) Small patches may be removed with hand tools or by repeated hand-pulling. Mowing before bloom can reduce seed set but will not control the plant. Mowing during or after flowering will disperse seeds. Because of its shallow root system, oxeye daisy can be controlled with cultivation.