English daisy

Questions about English daisy

Does English daisy need sun or shade?

English daisy grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day) and part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun).

It wants soil that stays evenly moist, of average fertility, and a good soak in dry spells.

What zones does English daisy grow in?

USDA zones 4 to 8. It is hardy to zone 4, which means it survives winter nights down to about −20 °F (−29 °C).

Above zone 8 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does English daisy flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers mid April to mid June. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should English daisy be planted?

6 in (15 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 8 in (20 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 6 in (15 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many English daisy plants do I need?

At 6 in apart, set out in staggered rows:

• 48 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
• 21 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
• 153 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own

In a mixed border, plant it as runs of three or five along the front (or one even row, in a formal bed).

In the bed above, the planner used 11 in three groups.

Is English daisy poisonous?

Yes: mild toxicity to people. May cause stomach upset if eaten in quantity, and the sap can irritate sensitive skin.

Rated from NC State Extension. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.

Is there a native plant like English daisy?

English daisy comes from Europe. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:

• Mouse-ear coreopsis 'Nana': the same job in a bed; 4 in wider, flowers early May to mid June.
• Bird's-foot violet: the same size and the same flowering time; a drift, not an edging, purple, not white.
• Alpine aster: the same job in a bed and the same colour; 4 in taller, 6 in wider.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

Do deer eat English daisy?

Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.

Will English daisy spread?

It seeds itself about; the risk of it taking over is moderate. Self-seeds into lawns and paving. Considered a lawn weed in the Pacific Northwest and the Northeast.

What flowers after English daisy?

English daisy is over by mid June. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Creeping thyme: from early June to mid July, 3 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
• Black-eyed Susan: from mid July to mid September, 24 in tall.
• Butterfly weed: from late June to early August, 24 in tall.

What does English daisy look like in winter?

English daisy holds some of its leaves into winter, more in a mild year or a sheltered spot, and they look tired by March. Cut the old ones off as new growth starts.

Is English daisy good for bees and butterflies?

English daisy is visited by pollinators, bees and butterflies.