ÃÛÌÒÁµÈË

How to Grow Shasta Daisies: The Complete Shasta Daisy Flower Guide

Learn how to plant and grow shasta daisies, a classic perennial.

Botanical Name
Leucanthemum x superbum
Plant Type
Flower
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Soil pH
Neutral
Bloom Time
Summer
Fall
Flower Color
White
Hardiness Zone
4
5
6
7
8
Special Features
Attracts Butterflies

Also receive the ÃÛÌÒÁµÈË Daily newsletter including gardening tips, weather, astronomical events, and more.

No content available.

Planting, Growing, and Caring for Shasta Daisies

Catherine Boeckmann

The cheerful Shasta daisy is a classic perennial. It looks similar to the familiar roadside field daisy but has larger and more robust blooms. Here’s how to grow Shasta daisies in your garden!

About Shasta Daisies

A European native, Shasta daisies are now naturalized throughout North America. Like clockwork, these daisies return every spring or early summer and bloom until early fall. They can be aggressive growers, so if you don’t want them spreading, choose varieties that don’t produce viable seeds or remove flowers before they go to seed. Because they are capable of spreading and are non-native, consider keeping them contained in garden beds away from wild areas.

Shasta daisies tend to form clumps that are 2 to 3 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet wide. They bear all-white daisy petals, yellow disk florets, and contrasting glossy, dark green leaves. Shasta daisies are terrific as cut flowers, as their blooms can last a week or more in arrangements.

Black bees on the clover-heads drowsily clinging,
Where tall feathered grasses and buttercups sway;
And all through the fields a white sprinkle of daisies,
Open-eyed at the setting of day.
–A²ú²ú²¹&²Ô²ú²õ±è;°Â´Ç´Ç±ô²õ´Ç²Ô

Read Next

Planting

Grow daisies in full sun for the best blooms. 

Soil should be moderately fertile—too rich, and you’ll get more vegetation than flowers. The soil should also be moist but well-draining.

To improve soil fertility before planting, loosen the soil to a depth of 12 to 15 inches, then mix in a 2- to 4-inch layer of compost.

When to Plant Shasta Daisies

  • Sow seeds in containers in a cold frame in autumn or spring.
  • If you seed directly, expect blooms after one season’s growth the following spring.
  • If purchasing a plant in a container, plant in spring or early fall.

How to Plant Shasta Daisies

  • Space plants 1 to 2 feet apart. Dig a hole twice the diameter of the container.
  • When placing the plant in the hole, make sure the top of the root ball is level with the soil surface.
  • Fill around the root ball and firm the soil.
  • Water thoroughly.
  • Taller plants may need support/staking.

Growing

  • Water during the summer only if rainfall is less than 1 inch per week. Daisies are generally tolerant of dry spells once they are established.
  • Every spring, apply some compost and mulch to help control weeds.
  • As flowers fade, deadhead to extend the blooming season.
  • After the first killing frost, cut stems back to an inch or two above the soil line. (See local frost dates.)

Dividing Daisies

To keep daisies blooming their best, plan to divide them every 2 to 3 years in early spring (before flowers appear) or in late summer or early fall (after flowers fade). Signs that a plant should be divided include:

  • Less-vigorous foliage growth
  • Smaller flowers or fewer flowers overall
  • Parts of the plant appear sparse or dead (especially the center of a clump)

How to Divide Daisies

  1. Use a spade or garden fork to loosen the soil around the plant, then gently remove it from the soil, doing your best to leave most roots intact.
  2. Brush or shake off soil from the roots. Then, using a sharp knife or pruning shears, divide the plant into two or more pieces, ensuring that each piece has at least a few stems and healthy-looking roots. Discard any diseased or damaged pieces.
  3. Replant the divisions as desired (spaced about 1-2 feet apart).

Types

  • ‘B±ð³¦°ì²â’ is a classic variety with large flowers that grows to about 3 feet tall.
  • ‘Cobham Gold’ is a popular variety with double flowerheads and a yellow disc carried atop 2-foot stems.
  • ‘Horace Reed’ is an elegant daisy with double white flowerheads and incurved disk florets.
  • ‘Snow Lady’ is a fast-growing, erect, bushy perennial that blooms the first year from seed and produces single white flowerheads in the summer.

Harvesting

  • Shasta daisies make for a lovely cut flower, lasting a week or more in arrangements.
Gardening Products

Wit and Wisdom

Pests/Diseases

Daisies are generally low maintenance and disease resistant. However, the following may occasionally be troublesome:

Flowers
About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s ÃÛÌÒÁµÈË found each other. She leads digital content for the ÃÛÌÒÁµÈË website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana. Read More from Catherine Boeckmann
 

More Like This

Comments

I have never had this problem, but IMO -- put out some bird seed for them.

Lhen Matuan (not verified)

9 years 6 months ago

I planted my shasta daisy last yr i didn't mulch and cut it back 4 inch to the ground this early spring and i transplant it recently from part shade to the sunny part of the garden its mid may now here in denmark and im still not seeing any sign of life, did i kill my shasta daisy?

reenie (not verified)

9 years 6 months ago

How tall do they normally get?

The height will depend on the cultivar. For instance, I have grown the cultivar "Alaska" from seed and they are huge, 36-40 inches tall. I also have the cultivar "Snow Lady" growing with my daylilies and it is about 18-inches tall (about the height of the fans of the larger daylilies). There is another cultivar I'm looking at for the edge of beds, "White Breeze" that is supposed to only grow about 12-inches tall. There are many, many cultivars now available on the market, seeds or plants, so you should be able to fine one (or several) that will be able to meet any need you have.

Jack Audino (not verified)

9 years 8 months ago

It is the end of winter in upstate NY, the leaves of my shasta daisies are brown and look dead. Should I remove those leaves that look dead?

Hi Jack,
Yes, prune the stems down to about two inches above the soil. We recommend that you cut stems back in the fall after the first fall frost.

azam (not verified)

9 years 8 months ago

how about planting daisies in malaysia?

bob makentire (not verified)

10 years ago

My flowers grew to 3 feet tall then I fertilized them and they just died! what the heck!!!

It's hard to guess without more information but it could be a pest or fungus. Do you see any chipmunk holes around?

ed ketteringham (not verified)

10 years 1 month ago

I had an odd experience this year with my daisys....they started with a big plant beautiful green leaves with many buds, but the buds all dried up died before they bloomed. Later in the year like now being late October they have sprouted a dozen beautiful white flowers. Im confused as there has already been frost here in Canada. wondering if this is normal
Thanks Ed