Shasta Daisy (Leucanthemum superbum): A Garden Classic

Zones: 1-24, 26 (northern part), 28-43. Exposure: Full sun; partial shade in hot-summer climates. Water: Regular.

Botanists have renamed this plant several times—it was moved from Chrysanthemum to Leucanthemum (catalogs may still use the old name). By any name, its yellow-centered white daisies shine in the garden and in bouquets. With routine care, plants bloom from early summer through mid-fall.

Flowers are 3 to 5 inches wide, single or double, borne individually on leafy stems rising from basal mounds of coarsely toothed, dark green foliage. Individual blooms can last several weeks. Popular cultivars grow 2 to 3 feet tall and 1½ to 2 feet wide; newer ones are especially heavy bloomers.

Shasta daisies prefer rich, moist soil with good drainage (critical in winter). Fertilize regularly during the growing season to increase flower stalks; cut spent stalks to the ground after flowering. In cold-winter areas, mulch around clump bases in fall without covering foliage. Divide every 2 to 3 years, replanting new growth from the edges and discarding the woody center.

Shasta daisy gall disease causes the root crown to split into weak plants that die quickly. Remove affected plants and avoid replanting in the same spot.