Whatever Your Garden Is Like, There's a Type of Daisy for You
When you think of a daisy, what's the first thing that comes to mind? Is it a small white flower with a bright yellow center? The kind that kids used to pluck in middle school for making a literal daisy-chain?
While the white-and-yellow wildflower, with its iconic look, is still the go-to flower for making things like daisy-flower napkin rings or when flower pressing, the truth is that the world of daisies is much larger and more colorful than you might imagine.
Technically, daisies are flowers in the family Asteraceae, which also includes coneflowers (aka echinacea) and chrysanthemums. It's a species with thousands of flowers—more than almost any other family. There are tropical daisies, desert daisies, cold-tolerant daisies and daisies that love salty breezes by the seashore!
They can come in a stunning array of colors and petal shapes as well, from the truly simple to the simply stunning.
So go ahead and find the right daisy for you. It may just be the classic little white flower taking over your lawn. And that's okay! They're beautiful, too.
Find more flowers to plant, by color, right here!
Field Daisy (Bellis perennis)
Also known as the English Daisy, this is the archetypal daisy wildflower. You might find them taking over a lawn, or sprouting along roadsides, but they're also perfectly lovely along garden paths!
Blooms: Spring and Summer
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
More: 10 Ideas for Growing a Wildflower Garden Wherever You Live
Shasta Daisy (Leucanthemum × superbum)
The Shasta daisy is a low-maintenance perennial plant that looks like the common daisy but grows in bushes that span about 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide, making it much larger, and more impressive than the small wildflower.
They're great for achieving that classic daisy look, and are one of the more popular daisies to plant! Their tall stems make them great for cut flower arrangements.
Blooms: Spring and Summer
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
More: How to Design and Grow a Cutting Garden
Gerbera Daisy (Gerbera jamesonii)
Native to Africa, gerbera daisies (also called barberton or transvaal daisies) come in a wide variety of bright colors, from red and pink to orange and yellow. They're beloved by pollinators and have a good, long bloom, making them great garden flowers.
Blooms: Late spring through Fall
Hardiness Zones: 8 and warmer (otherwise, plant as annuals)
More: How to Grow Gerbera Daisies in Your Garden
African Daisy (Osteospermum spp.)
These annuals offer large pink, orange, red, or yellow flowers with a stunning array of colors radiating from the center outward. They tend to love sunny spots and also make great flowers for a bouquet.
Blooms: Summer through Fall
More: 22 Best Annual Flowers and Plants That'll Make Your Gardens Glow
Gloriosa Daisy (Rudbeckia hirta)
Technically gloriosa daisies are cultivars of black-eyed Susans. Though many use the names interchangeably, gloriosas tend to be larger and showier than wild black-eyed Susans. They can be grown as short-lived perennials or as annuals.
Blooms: Late summer and early Fall
Hardiness Zones: 3 to 7
More: 35 Best Fall Flowers and Plants for Autumn Interest
Blue Marguerite Daisy (Felicia amelloides)
A South African native, the blue marguerite daisy is known for its sky-blue petals and bright yellow center. It grows best in mild summer temperatures.
Blooms: Mid to late summer
Hardiness Zones: 10 and higher, or grown as an annual
More: 20 Brilliant Blue Flowers for Your Garden
Cape Daisy (Dimorphotheca ecklonis)
Related to (and according to some, a species of) the African daisy, the cape daisy is a bush with daisy-like flowers that is typically grown as an annual, and that can grow up to 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide.
Rich in pollen and known to attract bees, the cape daisy comes in colors like purple, yellow, and white.
Blooms: Late spring through fall
Hardiness Zones: 9 and higher or as an annual
More: 25 Best Flowering Shrubs to Make Your Landscape Sing
Indian Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum indicum)
Yep, mums are a kind of daisy! They're all part of the Asteraceae family.
Indian mums are prized not only as an autumn-blooming flower, or for their dried beauty, but they can also be used to make a delicious tea.
Blooms: Summer through Fall
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
More: How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Fall Chrysanthemums
Marguerite Daisy (Argyranthemum frutescens)
The marguerite daisy is an annual native to the Spanish Canary Islands. This beauty demands plenty of sunlight, a well-draining soil, and a warm temperature. In return it offers fragrant flowers sprouting from a low shrub.
Blooms: Summer through Fall
More: 25 Fragrant Plants That Will Make Your Garden Smell Amazing
Aster Daisy (Aster amellus)
Also called Michaelmas Daisies, asters are in the daisy family. These tough wildflowers are typically lilac or purple with a long bloom time. Pollinators love them, and they make a great border flower. Bonus: they're deer resistant!
Blooms: Late summer to mid-fall
Hardiness Zones: 5 to 8
More: 38 Deer-Resistant Plants to Protect Your Garden
Desert Star Daisy (Monoptilon bellidiforme)
An annual plant native to parts of Mexico, California, Arizona, and Nevada, the desert star daisy thrives in dry climates and has super short stems, making it appear that the flower grows at ground level.
You're unlikely to be able to plant it in your garden, though if you live in the Southwest, you may find it growing about!
More: 30 Different Types of Cactus You Can Grow at Home
German Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)
There are actually two types of chamomile—Roman chamomile and German chamomile. German chamomile is an annual, but it also makes the sweeter more delicious herbal tea. Both are in the daisy family.
More: Grow Chamomile In Your Garden — But First, Decide Which Kind
Silver Townsend Daisy (Townsendia incana)
Small white hairs on the stems of the silver townsendia daisy give the plant's foliage a silvery appearance.
Florist's Daisy (Chrysanthemum × morifolium)
The multiple layers of petals on the florist's daisy give it a pom pom-like appearance making it popular for cut flower bouquets and arrangements.
Blooms: Late summer to fall
Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
More: I’m a Garden Editor. I Swear by the 3-5-8 Flower Arranging Rule
Dahlberg Daisy (Thymophylla tenuiloba)
Best used as a ground cover, dahlberg daisies are a fragrant annual plant with small deep yellow flowers that grow in bushes about 1 foot tall and 1 foot wide. It's native to Texas and parts of Mexico and is known for its drought tolerance.
Blooms: Summer to fall
Hardiness Zones: 9 to 11, or as an annual
Oxeye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare)
A popular daisy for grasslands and meadows, the oxeye daisy typically grows to be about 20 inches tall and needs well-draining soil to thrive.
Crown Daisy (Glebionis coronaria)
These beautiful Crown daisies make great border plants, growing 2 to 4 feet tall with lovely yellow and white flowers.
Even better, they're an edible annual plant! You can find the leaves in many Asian supermarkets, labeled "chrysanthemum greens."
Blooms: Late spring to early fall
Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9, and as an annual in colder climates
More: 30 Veggies and Herbs to Plant in Your Fall Vegetable Garden
Livingstone Daisy (Cleretum bellidiforme)
Characterized by their dark centers and pink, orange, yellow, and white petals, Livingstone daisies are not true daisies. In fact, they're succulents!
The plants thrive in temperate, sunny conditions and are tolerant of sea salt, making them perfect additions to seaside gardens. They're not great with cold, however.
More: The Complete Guide to Growing Succulents
Blue-Eyed Daisy (Arctotis venusta)
Originating in South Africa, these fragrant annuals have a silvery appearance with a striking blue or purple center. They love full sun and grown 12 to 18 inches.
Bloom: Late summer to early fall
More: 22 Best Annual Flowers and Plants That'll Make Your Gardens Glow
Butter Daisy (Melampodium spp)
The yellow flowers of the butter daisy pop against its bright green foliage. This annual plant is an easy-to-grow favorite in your sun-filled garden.
Bloom: Spring through fall
Painted Daisy (Tanacetum coccineum)
The brightly-colored painted daisy comes in a variety of hues and is popular for its ability to attract butterflies and repel pesky insects.
Blooms: Summer
Hardiness Zones: 3 to 7
Chocolate Daisy (Berlandiera lyrata)
At home on the plains of Colorado, Texas, and Mexico, the chocolate daisy is a drought-resistant plant that is easy to grow from seeds and blooms from early spring through late fall.
Blooms: Spring to fall
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 10
Swan River Daisy (Brachyscome iberidifolia)
Native to Australia, the swan river daisy comes in a wide variety of blue and purple shades and blooms in bushes about 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide.
Blooms: Spring through fall
Hardiness Zones: 8 to 11
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