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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

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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

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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
 

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Comments

Wayne Yahnke (not verified)

6 years 7 months ago

Hello,

My wife and I have a beautiful raised beed that is part of a retaining wall to our pool area. It is filled with Shasta Daisies. They seem to love it there. Every year we cut them back and they grow again in the spring/summer months.

Id like to add some color to the bloom. We have 20+ potted Lillies that are in need of a permanent home. I feel like they would thrive in the same location of the daisies.

Has anyone attempted this?
Do both flowers thrive?
Do they need to be separated within the same bed?
What steps do you take to ensure each plant is healthy?

All advies is appreciated.

Thanks

angela (not verified)

6 years 9 months ago

just sowed seeds in our community green house . this will be a lovely addition to our gardens.

JohnPaul (not verified)

7 years ago

Last summer, after moving into my new abode - Southern Hemisphere time - I threw around some mixed seed - not knowing what might turn up. Amongst my more permanent plantings appeared what I now know is a clump of Shasta Daisies. Following last summer, we had a very wet winter when it rained on average, two or three days every week, if not more, long and heavy! I wondered why this new arrival, whose name I didn't at that time know, would wilt every time there was a bit of sun. Then, I researched on the internet and discovered that Shasta Daisies don't like to be watered too much and to my shame... until I knew what they were, I was supplementing them with even more water! However, when I cut back and the weather improved, my Shasta's have come into their own. They're magnificent!

Cheryl Lyons (not verified)

7 years 1 month ago

Got my first Shasta this spring. Not knowing what they would do, I planted in a larger pot and kept on patio. I bring in lots of different plants and place them in southern window all winter and spring. Have had the same Boston ferns and Gerba's now for several years and they all get more beautiful as the years pass. What do I do with the Shasta, take it in or leave it outside in the pot? This spring I hope to put it in a sunny place outdoors and keep it there. Thanks. Cheryl in Central Illinois.

Shasta daisies need a dormancy period, so it would be best to leave the pot in a place where temperatures will get below 40°F. Place it in a spot that is sheltered from strong winds and melting snow—shasta daisies prefer not to sit in wet soil while dormant. It would also be wise to put a 2-inch layer of mulch on top of the pot for extra insulation. If you have a shed or unheated cellar, you could place the pot there, too.

Susan (not verified)

7 years 3 months ago

While planting time is best in spring, is it ok to plant those now on sale in pots at nurseries now instead?

Shirley (not verified)

6 years 4 months ago

I am wondering the same thing. I just picked up 3 pots of Shastas yesterday. They are looking a little sad, so I'm hoping after I give them some TLC they will take off just fine!

Melanie (not verified)

7 years 3 months ago

On harvest seed I have found several with small holes that appear to be empty. As ideas what this could be?

Barbara Rogers (not verified)

7 years 4 months ago

Is it too late in the season to start a flower Garden?