“Daisy” is one of the most loosely used names in gardening. It describes the classic flower shape — a ring of petals around a central disc — that appears across the huge Asteraceae family. That means dozens of very different plants are all called daisies. Here are the main types you’ll meet in gardens and bouquets.
What makes a daisy a daisy
A daisy isn’t a single plant but a flower shape: what looks like one flower is actually a composite of many tiny florets — ray florets forming the “petals” and disc florets forming the center. Many unrelated genera share this look, which is why so many plants carry the daisy name.
The main types of daisies
Here are the most popular flowers known as daisies.
Shasta Daisy
The quintessential garden daisy, the Shasta (Leucanthemum × superbum) has crisp white petals around a golden center on sturdy stems. A reliable perennial, it blooms all summer and is superb for cutting.
Gerbera Daisy
Gerberas are the big, bold, brightly colored daisies sold by florists, in shades of red, pink, orange, yellow and white. Grown as tender perennials or annuals, they’re prized for their large, long-lasting blooms.
Oxeye Daisy
The wild oxeye (Leucanthemum vulgare) is the white-and-yellow daisy that carpets meadows and roadsides. Cheerful and tough, it’s the classic “he loves me, he loves me not” flower.
English (Common) Daisy
The little lawn daisy (Bellis perennis) forms low rosettes with small white or pink flowers. Often considered a weed, its cultivated forms make charming edging and spring container plants.
African Daisy (Osteospermum)
African daisies bring vivid purples, oranges and bicolors with distinctive dark or metallic centers. Sun-loving and drought-tolerant, they flower prolifically in warm weather.
Marguerite Daisy
The marguerite (Argyranthemum) is a bushy, shrubby daisy smothered in white, pink or yellow blooms all season. It’s a container and border favorite and the national flower of Denmark.
Painted Daisy
Painted daisies (Tanacetum coccineum) offer daisy flowers in pink, red and white with ferny foliage. They’re also the source of the natural insecticide pyrethrum.
Michaelmas Daisy (Aster)
Michaelmas daisies are asters that bloom in late summer and fall, covering themselves in purple, blue, pink and white starry flowers just as most other plants fade.
Gloriosa Daisy (Black-eyed Susan)
Gloriosa daisies (Rudbeckia) have golden-orange petals around a dark chocolate center. Tough and long-blooming, they’re a mainstay of the late-summer garden.
Swan River Daisy
The Swan River daisy (Brachyscome) is a delicate annual with masses of small blue, purple or white flowers on fine foliage, perfect for baskets and edging.
How to choose the right daisy
Choose your daisy by setting. For a reliable white perennial, plant Shasta daisies; for bold cut-flower color, grow gerberas; for a naturalistic meadow, sow oxeyes; for hot, dry spots, choose African daisies; and for fall color, add Michaelmas daisies or black-eyed Susans. Most daisies love full sun and well-drained soil.
Caring for daisies
Nearly all daisies thrive in full sun with well-drained soil and benefit from regular deadheading, which keeps the blooms coming. Divide perennial types like Shastas every few years to keep them vigorous. See the daisy flower profile for more.
Popular daisies to grow
These reliable named varieties are among the best daisies to grow:
- Shasta “Becky” — a tall, sturdy, long-blooming white Shasta daisy
- Leucanthemum “Banana Cream” — a soft-yellow Shasta-type daisy
- Gerbera “Revolution” series — big, bold, brightly colored gerberas
- Osteospermum “Serenity” — vivid, heat-tolerant African daisies
- Rudbeckia “Goldsturm” — the classic golden black-eyed Susan
- Aster “Purple Dome” — a compact Michaelmas daisy for fall color
Daisies through the seasons
Because the daisy shape appears across so many plant genera, you can have daisies in bloom for most of the year: English daisies and oxeyes in spring, Shastas, gerberas and African daisies through summer, and Michaelmas daisies and black-eyed Susans carrying the display into fall. Planting a mix of types is the easiest way to keep cheerful, pollinator-friendly daisy flowers going from the first warm days until frost.
Daisy types FAQs
What are the different types of daisies?
Popular daisies include the Shasta daisy, gerbera daisy, oxeye daisy, English (common) daisy, African daisy (Osteospermum), marguerite daisy, painted daisy, Michaelmas daisy (aster), gloriosa daisy (black-eyed Susan) and Swan River daisy. All share the classic daisy flower shape but belong to different plant genera.
What is the most common daisy?
The Shasta daisy is the most common garden daisy, with its white petals and yellow center on tall, sturdy stems. In the wild, the oxeye daisy is the familiar white daisy of meadows and roadsides.
Are gerberas and daisies the same?
Gerbera daisies are one type of daisy — large, brightly colored blooms in the Asteraceae family sold widely as cut flowers. They share the daisy flower shape but are a distinct genus (Gerbera) from garden daisies like the Shasta.
Is a black-eyed Susan a daisy?
Yes, in the loose sense. The black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), also called the gloriosa daisy, has the classic daisy shape — golden petals around a dark central disc — and belongs to the same Asteraceae family.
What is the difference between a daisy and an aster?
Both are daisy-shaped flowers in the Asteraceae family. In general use, “daisy” often refers to white-and-yellow types like the Shasta, while asters (including Michaelmas daisies) are the many-petaled purple, blue and pink daisies that bloom mainly in fall.
Do daisies come back every year?
Many do. Shasta daisies, oxeye daisies, marguerites and Michaelmas daisies are perennials that return each year, while some daisies (like certain African daisies and Swan River daisies) are grown as annuals in cold climates.
See the daisy flower profile, daisy meaning, and the April birth flower.