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Shasta Daisy

Leucanthemum (lew-KAN-theh-mum soo-PER-bum)

Family: Asteraceae Unknown Herbaceous (3-15 ft)

Shasta daisies are old-fashioned favorites for perennial borders and cut flowers, with single and double-flowered cultivars available. Plant in average to dry well-drained garden soil in full sun to partial shade. Use in the perennial border, containers, cutting garden or cottage garden. Cultivars come in different sizes and flower forms. Previously this plant had the genus name Chrysanthemum. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: This plant is occasionally damaged by deer. Some cultivars have shown excellent resistance to phytophthora. Other cultivars in the same study have shown fair resistance to phytophthora or poor resistance to leaf spot (where fair is defined as less than half, and poor as more than half, of the plants dying from the disease).

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 52 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft) Optimal soil pH Neutral (6.0-8.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Perennial
Life cycle
Perennial
USDA zones
4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Foliage
Deciduous; Semi-evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Oblanceolate
Leaf margin
Dentate
Leaf feel
Glossy
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
1 inch long glossy dark green leaves have coarsely dentate margins and become smaller as they go up the stem.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; White
Flower value
Good Cut
Flower form
Head
Flower shape
Saucer
Flower detail
Flowers are white with yellow centers and 2-5 inches wide.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Rigid stems
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Non-native hybrid
Wildlife value
The plant attracts butterflies.
Attracts
Butterflies
Play value
Attractive Flowers
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Naturalized Area
Landscape theme
Butterfly Garden; Cutting Garden
Design feature
Border
Garden tags
#deer resistant #border planting #white flowers #full sun tolerant #spring interest #summer flowers #HS302 #cutting garden #perennial #cpp #fpp #HS304
Problems & Resistance
Disease problems
Phytophthora Root and Crown Rot in the Landscape; Phytophthora Blight and Root Rot on Annuals and Herbaceous Perennials; Bacterial Leaf Spot on Greenhouse Ornamentals; Southern Bacterial Wilt on Herbaceous Ornamental Plants
Resistant to
Deer; Drought
Particularly resistant to
Some cultivars resistant to phytophthora.
Propagation
Division; Seed

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.