If you look up during the winter, when all the deciduous trees have dropped their leaves, you might spot something still growing up there, tucked in the bare branches.It might be mistletoe, that beautiful parasite that we smooc
06.06.2023 - 17:04 / gardenerspath.com / Sylvia Dekker
How to Grow and Care for Shasta Daisies Leucanthemum xsuperbumShasta daisies occupy a quiet corner of my mind. I remember the glow of white flower petals in my parents’ garden at night, reflecting the moonlight as we roasted hotdogs on bonfires and hunted for fireflies.
Daisies as a group are garden favorites. The Shasta variety is no exception, and not only for its big bloomed, beautiful looks. This perennial is sturdy, easy to grow, and very versatile.
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Suitable for cultivation in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 9, they bloom in midsummer and are a favorite for cottage gardens or perennial borders.
Ready to add Shasta daisies to your garden? Here’s what I’ll cover:
Cultivation and HistoryShasta daisy is a member of the Asteraceae or aster family, a group noted for its starburst-shaped flowers.
Plants in the Leucanthemum genus are native to Europe and Asia, but the Shasta daisy itself is American.
Developed near snowy Mount Shasta in Northern California, Shasta daisies are the result of a quadruple hybrid cross.
The parents, L. vulgare (oxeye daisy), L. maximum (English field daisy), L. lacustre (Portuguese field daisy), and Nipponanthemum nipponicum (Japanese field daisy) were crossed over a period of 17 years by horticulturalist Luther Burbank, starting in 1884.
Finally, in 1901, looking like a beautiful sunny side up egg, the Shasta daisy was introduced to home gardeners.
It looks very similar to the oxeye daisy, but the flowers are much larger.
PropagationShasta daisiesare easy to propagate from seed and by division. Note that as a hybrid, seeds saved from existing plants may not grow true to the parent.
From SeedSow
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