Flowering Daisy Plants: Six Daisies for the Real Garden
Shasta for the classic, Gerbera for the tropical color, African daisy for the heat, painted daisy for the cut-flower bed — six daisy-form plants and where each belongs.
Daisy isn't one plant — it's a flower form (a central disc surrounded by ray petals) shared by hundreds of Asteraceae species. The six worth knowing for home gardens: Shasta daisy (classic perennial), Gerbera (tropical bedding), African daisy (heat-tolerant annual), painted daisy (cut-flower perennial), gloriosa daisy (heat-tolerant native annual), and English daisy (cool-weather lawn plant).
Shasta Daisy (Leucanthemum × superbum)
The classic white daisy of the perennial border. Zones 4-9, full sun, summer bloom, 2-3 ft. 'Becky' is the cultivar I recommend — taller, longer-blooming, and more reliable than the species form. Divide every 3-4 years to maintain vigor; the center dies out in old clumps. Deadhead weekly for a longer bloom window.