Shasta daisy

Sun

Full sun gives the strongest stems and best flowering. Light afternoon shade helps in hot climates.

Water

Water regularly while establishing, then deeply during prolonged dry weather. Avoid persistently wet soil, especially in winter.

Soil

Moderately fertile, well-drained soil; tolerates clay if drainage is good. Avoid waterlogged ground and excessive feeding.

Height

1-4 ft (0.3-1.2 m), depending on cultivar

Spread

1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m)

Flowers

Early to late summer, sometimes continuing into early autumn with deadheading; white petals around yellow centres. Double-flowered forms are also available.

Foliage

Dark green, toothed leaves form a basal clump, with smaller leaves up the flowering stems. Some basal foliage persists through mild winters.

Growth

Moderate; forms a flowering clump within one or two growing seasons.

Care needed

Medium

• Water at soil level when the root zone becomes dry; let the surface dry between waterings.
• Apply a thin layer of compost in spring; avoid heavy nitrogen feeding, which encourages floppy growth.
• Mulch around the clump to conserve moisture, keeping mulch away from the crown.
• Support tall cultivars before flower stems lean or collapse.
• Divide every two to three years if the centre becomes woody, bare or less productive.

Pruning. During flowering, cut spent stems back to a healthy leaf or side shoot to encourage further blooms. In late autumn or early spring, remove dead stems near ground level without cutting away healthy basal leaves.

Early spring

Remove dead stems and check that the crown has not rotted over winter.

Spring

Plant or divide clumps, water them in and top-dress lightly with compost.

Late spring

Put supports around tall cultivars before stems become top-heavy.

Summer

Deadhead regularly and water during prolonged dry spells.

Early autumn

Divide congested clumps in mild climates, allowing time for roots to establish before winter.

Late autumn

Remove diseased foliage and keep fallen leaves and heavy mulch off the crown.

• Repeat clumps through a sunny mixed border to link stronger flower colours with white.
• Combine with salvias, catmint and ornamental grasses for contrasting flower shapes and foliage.
• Use compact cultivars along path edges or at the front of small borders.
• Plant in a cutting garden for sturdy summer flower stems.
• Group single-flowered forms in a white garden, where their yellow centres add warmth.

Garden styles it suits: Cottage garden, English country, Traditional, White garden, Pollinator garden and Farmhouse.

Plant it with: Catmint, Perennial salvia, Purple coneflower, Yarrow, Tickseed and Feather reed grass.

Wildlife: Single-flowered forms provide accessible pollen and nectar for bees, hoverflies and other insects. Densely double flowers offer less accessible food.

• Crown and root rot: improve drainage, keep mulch off the crown and replace badly affected plants in a better-drained position.
• Slugs and snails: protect emerging shoots with hand-picking, habitat cleanup or labelled iron-phosphate bait.
• Leaf spots and powdery mildew: allow airflow, water the soil rather than leaves and remove affected debris.
• Floppy stems or a dying clump centre: reduce feeding, provide more sun, support tall stems and divide ageing clumps.

Treat leaves, stems and flowers as toxic to cats, dogs and horses if eaten; reported effects include vomiting, diarrhoea, drooling and skin irritation. In people, sap or foliage can cause contact dermatitis, especially in those sensitive to the daisy family, and eating the plant may cause stomach upset. Serious poisoning is uncommon, but it is not an edible plant.

• Oxeye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare)

  Usually has smaller flowers and a looser habit, with spoon-shaped lower leaves and narrow, toothed stem leaves. Shasta daisy cultivars generally have larger flowers and more robust clumps, but identification can be diff…

• English daisy (Bellis perennis)

  Forms a low lawn-level rosette with small flowers on short, leafless stalks, rather than tall, leafy flowering stems.

• Marguerite daisy (Argyranthemum frutescens)

  Has finely divided foliage and a shrubby, woody base; it is much less cold-hardy than Shasta daisy.

Luther Burbank named Shasta daisy after California's Mount Shasta, likening its white flowers to the mountain's snow.

Propagation. Divide healthy clumps in spring, or in early autumn where winters are mild. Seed-grown plants may differ from the parent; divide named cultivars to preserve their characteristics. Basal cuttings can also be taken in spring.

Accepted botanical name

Leucanthemum superbum

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.