Wild daisies are sweet garden flower for Western New York

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by Connie Oswald Stofko

Have you ever considered growing wild daisies in your garden? Some people think of them as weeds, but they have a treasured spot in my garden.

They’re hardy and easy to grow.  Whether we get a hot, dry summer or a cold, rainy summer, the daisy can take it in stride. They do like sun, but you may be able to grow them in shadier spots, too. (Correction: I had written that these are native plants, but they were actually introduced to North America from Eurasia.)

Daisies bloom for weeks and weeks. I love that.

The plant is a perennial and will come back year after year. It will spread, too. Unlike some other wild plants, however, daisies won’t take over your garden. If you find them growing in a spot where you don’t want them, they’re easy to yank out or move to a better spot.

Daisies are a great flower for cutting and using in vases. If you’re like me and are torn about cutting your beautiful flowers because you don’t like the bare spot in the garden, don’t worry. This is one case where you can have your cake and eat it, too. In my experience, the daisies will bloom again after you cut them. Plus, cutting them will keep them from getting leggy and drooping.

Give them a try and let me know what you think.

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29 Comments on “Wild daisies are sweet garden flower for Western New York”

  1. Suzanne, after the flowers have finished blooming, I pull out the plants. Where seeds fell, I now have green leaves of new plants. I leave them in place for next spring. I hope that helps.

  2. Should I cut back the greens of my wild daisies. I left them alone last fall and cut them out in the spring, but they looked ragged for early summer. Which time is best to cut them back.

  3. Bradford, you don’t have to cut daisies. The flowers will last awhile, then go to seed. You can collect the seeds and spread them where you like, or just let the wind decide where the daisies will grow next year.

  5. I was really surprised that these tiny flowers on long stems were a variety of daisy and not weeds. They have a lovely fragrance . They border my deck and make a nice background for the lilies and hydrangeas.

  8. I have a new neighbor – he went on my prperty and cut down 50 feet of daisy’s because he diesn’t like them!
    Uggghhhhh if looks could kill he’d be dead. So rude!!! MY PROPERTY.

  10. Here in Mid-Michigan, our dry summer this year has given us a month long break from mowing our lawns. To my amazement all of these beautiful wild daisies have popped up in my yard – 4 places to be exact. I’m thinking of transplanting them to a place to enjoy without the risk of them being taken out by the mower.

    Do you think they’ll come back next year if I decide to put some in a pot too?

  12. just be sure NOT to plant them near a walnut tree; toxins leech out and rots the flowers from roots up (black stems will reveal this problem). I dug around and moved the roots – so we’ll see if that works later on.
    otherwise – because they were on the property even scantily, by chance some will appear elsewhere a while later.

  17. Cecile, you want to let the flowers go to seed. Don’t pick the flowers; just leave them in place and let the plant use its energy toward making seeds. Let the seeds fall, or gather the seeds and place them where you want more plants. Does that answer your question?

  21. I carried daisies as my wedding bouquet 64 years ago today and have had a wonderful marriage. Daisies, too, last a long time. Best wishes to the couple.

  23. Thanks Connie: She has some with unopened buds. I will try local florists or farmers market for flowers if the daisies don’t work. I am keeping my fingers crossed, as we have had some cooler weather and I think that is helping them last longer. Appreciate your reply. Sue

  24. Sue, that does sound beautiful. I have of vase of wild daisies on my kitchen table right now. However, I wouldn’t bet that my daisies will still be blooming two weeks from now. You might have some, but I’m afraid most of them will be leggy with blooms past their prime. Look at the plants in the garden. Are there some stems with buds that haven’t opened yet? If so, you will probably have those blooms to pick in two weeks. But if all the stems have flowers that have already opened, you should probably have a back-up plan. Sorry that I couldn’t be more positive.

  25. I am planning to use wild daisies for my daughter in laws wedding shower, in vases on the tables. My neighbor has a huge garden of daisies that are just blooming now. I am wondering if they will still be blooming in time for the shower ? , June 22nd. 2 weeks from now? Any hints?

  26. Kirsten,
    It always amazes me that plants that are well controlled in one person’s garden becomes invasive in someone else’s garden. I agree that daisies are worth the effort to control.

    Thanks so much for the comment!

    Best,
    Connie

  27. I found mine in a field. I just pulled them out and transplanted them. However, unlike the writer’s experience, mine started to really take over, despite the pulling. So I had to cull most of them this year, so I could still have other things. I see a few babies popping up, but I’ll leave them. I DO love them, and they have taken over my mother’s yard since I gave them to her last year. She loves them too.

  28. If you’re lucky, they’ll just show up! That’s what happened to me!
    I’ll keep you posted if I find a good source for seeds for native plants.
    Best,
    Connie

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