Planting Shasta Daisies - The Growing And Care Of Shasta Daisy

White Flowered Shasta Daisies
(Image credit: EllenAI)

Shasta daisy flowers provide perky summer blooms, offering the look of the traditional daisy along with evergreen foliage that lasts year-round in many locations. When you learn how to grow Shasta daisy, you'll find it to be the perfect, low maintenance perennial for naturalizing and filling in bare spots in the landscape. Originally it known as Chrysanthemum x superbum, the plant was renamed and is now known as Leucanthemum x superbum. Several cultivars of Shasta daisy plants are available to the gardener. Some may reach 3 feet (1 m.) in height while others are just a few inches (8 cm.) tall.

How to Grow Shasta Daisy Plants

When planting Shasta daisies in the garden, take care to prepare the soil properly. Fertile soil is necessary for the best bloom on Shasta daisy flowers. Good drainage is important for the performance of the Shasta daisy as well. While Shasta daisies will take light shade, as opposed to a full sun location, the plants won't tolerate soggy roots or standing water. Provide appropriate drainage several inches (8 cm.) down in the soil. Good drainage when planting Shasta daisy plants can be aided along by adding organic material to the soil prior to planting. Continue planting Shasta daisies yearly for a more abundant display. Shasta daisy plants are short-lived perennials, meaning they return for just a few years. Staggered yearly plantings ensure that your Shasta daisy plants will continue to colonize and grace the landscape.

Shasta Daisy Care

Once planted, care of Shasta daisy is minimal. Shasta daisy care includes deadheading the flowers occasionally to encourage heavier blooms and a more abundant show. Cut flowers of the Shasta daisy are also long-lasting and will encourage more profuse blooming on plants remaining in the ground. New leaves soon appear to produce another show of white daisy blooms in early summer. When blooms of Shasta daisy flowers finish, usually in September, cut the foliage back severely. When planted in a sunny spot, bordering the lawn or at the back of the flower bed, these popular daisy plants will colonize and continue to bloom for a few years.

Becca Badgett
Writer

Becca Badgett was a regular contributor to Gardening Know How for ten years. Co-author of the book How to Grow an EMERGENCY Garden, Becca specializes in succulent and cactus gardening.