Shasta daisy 'Banana Cream'

Questions about Shasta daisy 'Banana Cream'

Does Shasta daisy 'Banana Cream' need sun or shade?

Shasta daisy 'Banana Cream' grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day).

It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and a good soak in dry spells. Once settled in, it stands drought.

What zones does Shasta daisy 'Banana Cream' grow in?

USDA zones 5 to 9. It is hardy to zone 5, which means it survives winter nights down to about −10 °F (−23 °C).

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

When does Shasta daisy 'Banana Cream' flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers late June to late August. As a summer flower it moves about half a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer.

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 Shasta daisy 'Banana Cream' be planted?

18 in (45 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 20 in (50 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 18 in (45 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many Shasta daisy 'Banana Cream' plants do I need?

At 18 in apart, set out in staggered rows:

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

In a mixed border, plant it as a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.

In the bed above, the planner used three in one group.

Is Shasta daisy 'Banana Cream' poisonous to dogs and cats?

Yes: mild toxicity to people, dogs and cats. Can cause vomiting and diarrhoea if eaten. Handling the plant can irritate skin.

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

Is there a pet-safe plant like Shasta daisy 'Banana Cream'?

These come closest to doing what Shasta daisy 'Banana Cream' does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:

• Coreopsis 'Jethro Tull': the same job in a bed, the same size, the same flowering time and the same colour.
• Stokes' aster: the same job in a bed, the same size and the same flowering time; blue, purple or white, not yellow.
• Black-eyed Susan 'Little Goldstar': the same job in a bed, the same size and the same colour; flowers mid July to mid September.

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

Do deer eat Shasta daisy 'Banana Cream'?

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

What flowers after Shasta daisy 'Banana Cream'?

Shasta daisy 'Banana Cream' is over by late August. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Garden chrysanthemum: from mid September to late October, 24 in tall.
• Sedum 'Autumn Joy': from mid August to mid October, 24 in tall.
• Autumn moor grass: from mid August to early October, 16 in tall.

What does Shasta daisy 'Banana Cream' look like in winter?

Shasta daisy 'Banana Cream' dies down to the ground and there is nothing to see until spring. The old stems can be cut in autumn, or left until spring as shelter for overwintering insects.

Is Shasta daisy 'Banana Cream' good for bees and butterflies?

Shasta daisy 'Banana Cream' is visited by pollinators, bees and butterflies.