Types of Daisy Flowers

You may be confused by the many types of daisy flowers, but don't despair! There are thousands of species in the daisy family and plant breeders have created a hundreds of hybrids. Finding the right daisy for your landscape is more about what you're looking for than what's available.

Types Of Daisy Flowers For Your Garden

Although there are many species in the family Asteraceae (including asters, daisies and sunflowers), all have the familiar daisy flower shape-a disk-shaped center (called a floret) and long, narrow petals that form a circular star shape. Here are some of the best the daisy family has to offer for your garden:

• Shasta Daisy (Leucanthemum x superbum) zones 4 to 9
  The large (4" to 5") white blooms appear on 2' to 3' stems from early summer to fall. Shasta Daisies are clump-forming plants that multiply by division. Plants should be divided every two to three years. Shasta Daisy blooms are long lasting and make excellent cut flowers.
• Gerbera Daisy (Gerbera jamesonii) zones 8 to 10, annual elsewhere
  Also known as the Transvaal or African Daisy, Gerbera Daisies produce 4" blooms on 12" to 18" stems. Flower colors are available in a rainbow of warm colors from white to yellow through red, with a number of pastel varieties available. These clump forming plants require excellent drainage-consider raised beds in areas of heavy soil.
• Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) zones 3 to 9
  Drought tolerant and adaptable to a wide range of soils, the Purple Coneflower is an excellent plant for the naturalized or meadow garden. The distinctive blooms feature drooping, daisy petals around a large central cone. Blooms appear all summer on stems of around 2'.
• Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida) zones 3 to 9
  A classic perennial, the Black-eyed Susan sports yellow to orange 3" blooms with brown to purple centers. The blooms form on 3' long stems rising out of clumping, deep green foliage. The Black-eyed Susan is a perfect choice for the back of a flowerbed or in a naturalized area in the landscape.
• English Daisy (Bellis perennis) zones 4 to 8
  This compact daisy produces 2" blooms of red, pink and white in the spring. The low growing foliage (3" to 6") is perfect for the front of flowerbeds. Some varieties are self-seeding and can be invasive in cool summer areas.