28 Types of Daisies to Grow in Your Flower Garden
Love the look of daisies? The white and yellow oxeye daisy is just the beginning!
Quick: think of the first flower you ever tried to draw.
Chances are good it was a daisy. The distinctive pattern of long white petals clustered simply around perfect-circle center is so iconic, so easily recognizable that even people who don't really know much about flowers know how to identify a daisy. It's the flower that young lovers pick to play "they love me/they love me not." It's the flower that is used for making a daisy-chain. It looks best in a humble pitcher vase. But mostly it's the low-maintenance flower that you should absolutely be planting to fill out your flower garden.
Learn More: A Simple Guide to Growing Better Daisies
The daisy is rumored to get its name from the Old English phrase “daes eage,” or “day’s eye,” because the flowers bloom at the first sign of morning light. A symbol of purity, loyalty, patience, and simplicity, this beautiful bloomer comes in many more colors and sizes than the classic white with yellow centers. In fact, there are over 20,000 types of daisies (more than any other flower family). Some research even suggests the daisy family of flowers could have existed during the time of the dinosaurs.
Originating in Europe and temperate regions of Asia, daisies now grow everywhere in the world except for Antarctica. There are tropical daisies, desert daisies, cold-tolerant daisies, and daisies that love salty breezes by the seashore! They can grow in wet environments, dry environments, in full sun or shady spots. Daisies are a true chameleon!
Daisies are part of the Asteraceae family, which also includes coneflowers, sunflowers, and chrysanthemums. Loved by pollinators like bees and butterflies, daisies are also edible, so perfect for garnishing cakes and cupcakes when making spring desserts.
So read on to 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 right here!
Oxeye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare)
This is the classic daisy: the one you probably drew as a kid. It grows well—even invasively—in grasslands and meadows. Dairy farmers consider it a pest as it taints milk.
The oxeye daisy typically grows to be about 20 inches tall and needs well-draining soil to thrive.
Keep Reading: How to Grow Daisy Flowers
Marguerite Daisy (Argyranthemum frutescens)
Similar to the Oxeyes, 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
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
Golden Shrub Daisy (Euryops pectinatus)
This evergreen (it's foliage is a striking gray-green color) will bloom year round in warm climates. It's native to South Africa, likes full sun, and well draining soil. It can even handle a bit of salt so it's a great choice if you live near the beach.
Blooms: Year round in warm climates
Hardiness Zones: 8 to 11
More: 25 Yellow Flowers for the Happiest Garden
Blanket Flower (Gaillardia)
Also called Indian Blanket, this is certainly one showy daisy. Red, pink, or peach petals fringed with yellow make this a garden favorite. Native to North and South Americas this drought-tolerant daisy loves full sun.
Blooms: Early Summer and Fall
Hardiness Zones: 3 to 1o
More: 30 Best Pink Flowers for An Enchanting Garden
Damianita (Chrysactinia mexicana)
Know for its drought tolerance and nice smelling evergreen foliage. This plant loves full sun, warm climates, and must have well draining soil.
Blooms: Spring and Fall
Hardiness Zones: 7 to 11
Coneflower (Echinacea)
An American native know for its pink purple leaves and orange center. Used as a medicinal herb to boost immunity this hearty plant looks great in any garden bed. Drought tolerant once established, it's also resistant to deer and bunnies.
Blooms: Late Spring to late Summer
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
Golden Marguerite (Anthemis tinctoria)
Also known as Golden Chamomile or Boston Daisy this perennial is native to Europe and Western Asia. Hardy from zones 3 to 8, it blooms throughout the fall. This is a perfect fit for a cottage style garden.
Blooms: Summer into Fall
Hardiness Zones: 3 to 8
More: 25 Yellow Flowers for the Happiest Garden
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
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)
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
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
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
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
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
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!
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
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