What comes to mind when you think of daisy flowers?
For many people, they are the quintessential flower.
They are easily recognizable by their classic petal structure and come in a variety of colors.
Daisies have been around for centuries and continue to be some of the most popular flowers grown today.
What are daisies?
The name “daisy” is used to describe a flower’s shape and structure.
This is a classic arrangement of petals spiraling off a center, compact mound.
There isn’t a scientific family or classification of a flower named “daisy”.
However, the common name “daisy” is applied to nearly 22,000 different species within the massive Asteraceae family of plants. A group is known for blooms that have a tight mound of tiny flowers in the center, with several ray flowers all around the edges.
We will take a look at 15 different varieties of daisy flowers here.
1. Oxeye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare)
The oxeye daisy is a white flower with a yellow center. Each flower is about 1 – 2 inches in diameter.
It is native to Europe but has been introduced to North America and other parts of the world.
This daisy can be found in fields, meadows, and roadside ditches.
The oxeye daisy is considered an invasive species in some areas.
2. Shasta Daisy, (Leucanthemum superbum)
The Shasta daisy is a snowy white flower with a golden yellow center. Its name is derived from the snowy caps of Mount Shasta in northern California
Similar to the oxeye daisy, except the blooms are significantly larger, reaching up to 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter.
Shasta daisies are tall and will grow up to two feet or taller. This can require you to stake and support them when they are full-grown to prevent breaking.
It is also native to Europe but has been introduced to North America and other parts of the world.
Growing in full sun to partial shade.
With peak blooming season in North America of June to July.
The shasta daisy is a popular choice for landscaping and gardening because it tolerates drought, and heat as well as excessive soil moisture. Basically a champion for adapting to climates and will also adapt to all types of soil, and soil pH.
The white classic shasta daisy is the ‘Snowcap” variety, however, it is not a gardener’s only option either, you can find varieties of shasta daisy ranging from dusty-yellow of ‘Real Dream’, “Luna” or ‘Goldfinch”
The fringed, wispy ‘Phyllis Smith’ is a fun twist to the classic white petals and yellow center.
3. English, or True Daisy (Bellis perennis)
Arguably the most classic of all daisies is the English or True daisy, which has been hybridized for centuries.
The English daisy is a small compact plant growing no taller than 6 inches tall, with blooms only reaching about an inch in diameter.
Each bloom has white or faded shades of pink petals, around a yellow or green center. Blooms grow atop a tall, slender stalk, from an almost ground-cover-like plant base.
This daisy can be found growing in lawns, parks, and gardens all over the world.
The English daisy is low maintenance and can tolerate a variety of growing conditions including full sun, partial shade, and drought.
Plant these sweet, delicate plants look great along a rock border, garden edge, and even in a pot on your deck.
This small flower blooms all spring and summer long. Deadheading (removing spent blooms) will encourage continuous bloom throughout the season.
4. Gerbera daisy, (Gerbera jamesonii)
The Gerber daisy is a large, showy flower that comes in a wide range of colors including white, yellow, pink, red, and orange.
Each bloom can reach up to 4-5 inches across with outer petals that are often two-toned or striped, making it a fabulous cut flower.
The center of the flower is made up of smaller petals that are often a different color than the outer petals.
Gerbera daisies are clump-forming plants, where the blooms grow on long, chunky, fuzzy stems and have large, dark green leaves.
Plants typically grow 12 to 15 inches tall and prefer warm weather.
These daisies are typically annuals in most climates, reaching their peak in the hot summer months, but in warm climates are hardy and will grow as a perennial.
Continuous deadheading of the spent blooms will keep this big daisy blooming for months.
They prefer partial sun to full shade.
This daisy is native to Africa but has been introduced to other parts of the world including North America, Europe, and Asia.
5. German Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)
This daisy-like flower is considered an herb, with calming effects making it a popular tea.
The German chamomile plant grows 12 to 24 inches tall and has needle fine, feathery leaves that give off a strong scent when brushed against or crushed.
The small white flowers have a bright yellow center and appear in clusters at the ends of stems that shoot up from the plant base.
This pretty herb blooms from late spring to early summer and self-seeds readily, so it will often reappear in your garden year after year. Chamomile is easy to grow and can become a bit invasive in your garden if you allow the seed heads to drop after blooming.
German chamomile prefers full sun but will tolerate partial shade. It prefers medium- low moisture with well-drained soil.
6. African Daisies (Osteospermum x hybrida)
Most of these daisy plants are marketed as African daisies or osteospermum and other hybrids.
Growing 1 – 3 feet tall, these plants will bloom profusely from early spring to mid-summer, and again in the fall in most climates as annuals. However, in warm climates, African daisies are grown as perennials.
The flowers come in a wide range of colors including shades of vibrant pinks, deep magenta, fuchsia, white, yellow, and more. Some African daisy varieties have bicolor blooms or even multi-colored blooms with more than one shade on each flower. Blooms vary in size but are on average 2 to 3 inches across.
7. Swan River Daisy (Brachyscome iberidifolia)
This Australian native daisy is a low-growing, mounding plant that typically reaches only 12 inches tall.
The small, dainty flowers have magenta to blue-purple petals with a yellow center. Blooms are delicate, reaching up to 1 inch across, but they make up for this size in the extravagant number of blooms each plant will produce. Each mounding plant will often be covered in these bright, slightly fragrant flowers.
This daisy blooms throughout summer and fall and is a lover of hot weather.
An excellent choice for attracting pollinators to your garden as well.
Swan River daisies prefer full sun and are quite a drought tolerant once established in the landscape.
They make an excellent choice for rock gardens, pots, and mass plantings to soften the edges of landscaping.
8. Marguerite Daisy (Argyranthemum frutescens)
The Marguerite Daisy is a small, compact shrub that typically only grows to about 2 to 3 feet tall. It’s one of the longest blooming daisies, with flowers appearing from early spring until fall in climates where the nighttime temperature drops below 75 degrees
The pretty shades of pink flowers have a wide, yellow center and are about two inches across. This plant is often used to fill in large areas in the garden, making it a showing choice to line the side of a house or walkway.
9. Leopard’s Bane (Doronicum orientale)
This striking daisy-like flower can grow to be around 6 inches to almost 3 feet tall and 18 inches wide, making it one of the larger varieties on this list, with 38 different species.
The large, bright yellow flowers have a golden center and are about 2 – 3 inches across. They appear atop long stems in early spring and will bloom for several weeks, and may re-bloom in fall if you deadhead all spring blooms.
The foliage is very attractive, heart-shaped, and deciduous, meaning it stays green and alive all year. Plant the Leopard’s bane in a shading location with the only speckled sun, and needs regular watering.
10. Painted Daisy (Tanacetum coccineum)
This is one of the most unique and eye-catching daisy varieties on this list.
The Painted Daisy grows as a tall-leggy plant reaching about 2 – 3 feet tall and 12 inches wide, with very long, thin stems that are covered in flat, carrot top-like leaves. However, the flower stems will add another 12 inches or so to the plant’s overall height.
The real showstoppers of this plant are the flowers, which appear in early to mid-summer in bright bold colors like ruby red, magenta, and a dusty lilac purple. What’s most notable about these daisy-like flowers is the velvety, fuzzy-looking golden center.
This daisy prefers full sun but will tolerate partial shade and can tolerate some drought. An excellent choice for attracting pollinators to your garden as well – butterflies go crazy over the painted daisy.
11. Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
This North American native wildflower is a favorite among gardeners for its long blooming period and ease of care. The Black Eyed Susan will bloom from early to mid-summer, with some varieties blooming into fall.
The large yellow flowers have a prominent black or brown center, giving this flower its name, and are about three inches across. They appear atop tall, Thin stems that can grow to be about 2 to 4 feet tall. The most unique and identifiable, characteristic of the Rudbeckia genus is the scratchy leaves, which is to help deter pests.
This flower does best in full sun but will tolerate some partial shade. It’s also quite a drought-tolerant once established, making it an excellent choice for hot, dry locations in the landscape.
The Blackeyed Susan is a favorite among pollinators, especially bees and butterflies.