Shasta daisy 'Becky'
Leucanthemum x superbum 'Becky' · Asteraceae Popular
The classic white daisy with a yellow centre, on stiff stems that do not flop, from July into September. It stands up to heat and humidity better than any other Shasta.
- Size
- 3½ ft tall, 24 in wide
- Zones
- 5 to 9
- Light
- Full sun
- Flowers
- Early July to early September
- Pets
- Toxic (mild)
- Job in a bed
- Drift
A bed built around Shasta daisy 'Becky'
The planner designed this bed around Shasta daisy 'Becky' when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) English border in zone 6, full sun. It chose the other plants from the 966 that suit those conditions, and says below why Shasta daisy 'Becky' stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Shasta daisy 'Becky' × 4, white
- 2 Cheddar pinks 'Tiny Rubies' × 21, pink
- 3 Winter heath × 4, purple
- 4 Italian bugloss 'Dropmore' × 3, blue
- 5 Silver sage × 1, silver leaves
- 6 Black-eyed Susan 'Goldsturm' × 3, yellow
- 7 Ornamental onion 'Purple Sensation' × 4, purple
- 8 Darwin hybrid tulip × 3, red
Why this plant
- The only white. White sits between stronger colours and calms them.
Why here
- Anchors a back corner. At 3½ ft it is among the tallest plants here, and the tallest close the ends of the bed, where they stand in front of nothing.
- A step in the back row. Next to Italian bugloss 'Dropmore' (4 ft): no two neighbours there are the same height, so the back steps up and down like a skyline.
- 4 plants in 2 groups (3 and 1). Seen again further along, the same plant ties the bed together.
Why now
- In flower for 10 weeks. From early July to early September.
- Fills a gap. For one of those weeks nothing else on the plan is in flower.
Planned as an English border: 4 of the 6 groups (67%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. The bed is tied together by its repeats: three kinds come round again along it, among them Cheddar pinks 'Tiny Rubies' and Shasta daisy 'Becky'. The flowers run from late January to late September: 36 weeks in all.
The planner's own design check: 12 Excellent, 5 Good. It flags one thing to watch: Nothing on this plan is highly poisonous or an aggressive spreader.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where Shasta daisy 'Becky' goes in a border
At 3½ ft it belongs at the back of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is moderately tall (3 to 4 ft).
Its job: drift. Planted in a small group of three or five, and repeated further along in the other number.
White daisies are the simplest flower shape there is, and they calm a busy border. Plant in groups among spires and globes. Deadhead for a second flush and divide every two or three years.
- White daisies for the middle of a sunny border
- Cut flowers
- Cottage gardens
What to plant with Shasta daisy 'Becky'
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Purple coneflower: in flower together for 10 weeks, from early July.
- Salvia 'May Night': in flower together for two weeks, from early July; low enough (24 in) to stand in front of it.
- Daylily: in flower together for six weeks, from early July.
Questions about Shasta daisy 'Becky'
Does Shasta daisy 'Becky' need sun or shade?
Shasta daisy 'Becky' 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.
What zones does Shasta daisy 'Becky' 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 'Becky' flower in my zone?
In zone 5 it flowers early July to early September. As a summer flower it moves about half a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer.
| Zone 5 | Early July to early September |
|---|---|
| Zone 6 | Early July to early September |
| Zone 7 | Late June to early September |
| Zone 8 | Late June to early September |
| Zone 9 | Late June to early September |
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 'Becky' be planted?
24 in (60 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is about its full width, so each plant keeps its own outline.
It grows 3½ ft (100 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many Shasta daisy 'Becky' plants do I need?
At 24 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 3 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 6 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 10 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 four in two groups.
Is Shasta daisy 'Becky' 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 'Becky'?
These come closest to doing what Shasta daisy 'Becky' does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:
- Garden phlox: the same job in a bed, the same size, the same flowering time and the same colour; wants moist soil.
- False sunflower: the same job in a bed and the same flowering time; 8 in taller, yellow, not white.
- Wild quinine: the same job in a bed, the same flowering time and the same colour; 6 in narrower, bold leaves, not medium.
Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.
What flowers after Shasta daisy 'Becky'?
Shasta daisy 'Becky' is over by early September. 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, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
- Blue mistflower: from late August to mid October, 2½ ft tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
- Montauk daisy: from mid September to late October, 3 ft tall.
What does Shasta daisy 'Becky' look like in winter?
Shasta daisy 'Becky' 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.
More Leucanthemum
- Shasta daisy 'Banana Cream' Leucanthemum x superbum 'Banana Cream'
- Shasta daisy 'Crazy Daisy' Leucanthemum x superbum 'Crazy Daisy'
- Shasta daisy 'Snowcap' Leucanthemum x superbum 'Snowcap'
In these guides
Every fact on record
- Type
- Perennial
- Size
- 3½ ft (100 cm) tall, 24 in (60 cm) wide
- Plant
- 24 in (60 cm) apart
- Height class
- Moderately tall (3 to 4 ft)
- Place in the bed
- Back
- Flowers
- Early July to early September; daisies; white
- Leaves
- Medium texture, semi-evergreen; dark green
- Shape
- Upright, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 5 to 9
- Light
- Full sun
- Soil
- Average, well-drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- Light, in spring
- Family
- Asteraceae
Checked against NC State Extension. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.