Daisies are very popular white flowers in the family Asteraceae, with yellow centers that attract bees and butterflies.

Most of us think of Shasta daisies when we use the term daisies; they bloom in the spring and summer; some re-bloom in the fall.

11.9.09

Shasta daisy is a hybrid of the genus leucanthemum, created by an American botanist, horticulturist and a pioneer in agricultural science, Luther Burbank (1849 - 1926) supposedly because of "the clean white petals of this daisy reminded Burbank of the snow of Mount Shasta in California", according to the Perennial Plant Association which also named it as 2003 perennial plant of the year.

Shasta daisy has been part of my garden for many years. One year I even tried the ones with fringed petals but these did not come back the following year.

I planted Nippon daisies, also called Montauk daisies, three years ago both in the front and back garden.

These belong in the genus nipponanthemum. Their leaves are arranged differently and there are multiple flowers on one stem. Nippon daisies are fall flowers, with large blooms over beautiful green foliage; although they have yet to gain the popularity of Shasta daisies.