Shasta Daisy

Shasta Daisy, common name for a large daisy widely grown in gardens, member of the family of composite flowers. The shasta daisy is a hybrid plant—a cross between genetically different parent plants. It was developed in the late 19th century by American plant breeder Luther Burbank. A large-flowered daisy with a long stem suitable for border plantings and flower arrangements, the shasta daisy was created by crossing two European daisies—Portuguese daisy and chrysanthemum daisy.

The shasta daisy is a 1-m (3-ft) herbaceous perennial—a plant with a soft, nonwoody stem that lives for at least three years. The lower leaves are about 30 cm (about 12 in) long and have toothed edges. The upper leaves attach directly to the main stem and are lance-shaped. The flower heads are up to 10 cm (4 in) across and are arranged singly on long stems. The center disk flowers are bright yellow, and the petal-like ray flowers are white.

There are about 50 cultivated varieties, known as cultivars, of shasta daisy that differ in appearance. For example, ‘Cobham Gold’ has yellowish ray flowers instead of white, and ‘Star Burst’ has exceptionally large flower heads that are about 15 cm (about 6 in) in diameter. There are also compact cultivars, reaching about 30 cm (about 12 in) in height, that have double and semidouble flowers (flowers with multiple rows of petals), or fringed ray flowers.

Shasta daisy requires a well-drained soil and tolerates hot weather and dry, sandy soil. Cold tolerance varies depending upon the cultivar, but most survive winter temperatures as low as -34° C (-29° F).

Scientific classification: The shasta daisy is a member of the family Asteraceae (formerly Compositae). It is classified as either Chrysanthemum x superbum or Leucanthemum x superbum.