26 Types of Daisies to Grow in Your Garden

Bright, cheerful, and easy to grow, daisies are readily identifiable and are a mainstay of cottage gardens and classic perennial borders alike. The commonly known daisy has a yellow center and white petals, but there are more than 20,000 species of daisies that grow all over the world in a range of colors. There are also multitudes of options when it comes to choosing daisies to grow in your garden.

What Are Daisies?

The common name "daisy" is applied to a large handful of species within the huge Asteraceae family of plants, a group known for blooms that are flat and disc-shaped, with petals that form rays projecting outward from a central hub. The family also includes chrysanthemums, zinnias, asters, and sunflowers as well as many common weeds, such as dandelions. You can choose the right type of daisy for your garden by looking at the USDA Zone and your sun exposure. This will help you pick the best type of daisy to thrive in your space, provided you plant it in well-draining soil and the correct season.

Ready to add cheerful color to your yard? Here are gorgeous species of daisies to consider for your garden.

English Daisy

The common English daisy, Bellis perennis, has a somewhat deserved reputation for being a weed; it's considered invasive in some areas. The species has flowers with white rays and yellow centers, but there are many cultivars with semi-double and button flowers, such as 'Galaxy Red.' These cultivars are both showier and better behaved than the primary species.

English daisies are hardy but are often grown as biennials in warmer zones and as annuals in cooler zones. These low-growing daisies, especially the showier cultivars, can make excellent ground cover plants.

• Native Area: Northern Africa, western Asia, Europe
• USDA Growing Zones: 4–8
• Height: 3–6 inches
• Sun Exposure: Full, dappled shade
• Flower Color: Red, white, pink

Gerbera Daisy

The National Garden Bureau named 2013 the Year of the Gerbera, declaring the pleasing shape and luminous colors of the flower to be irresistible to gardeners. Unlike some daisies, this South African native is a tender perennial, hardy only in warm climates. However, the plants can thrive in a container garden and make fabulous cut flowers, as many florists and brides can attest.

Gerbera daisies, Gerbera jamesonii, also called Veldt Daisies, prefer morning sun. Irrigate the plants at the soil level to keep water off the foliage and prevent fungal diseases. Look for the Festival series in a rainbow of colors, or try one of the lush, semi-double types, such as the peach-hued Cartwheel Chardonnay.

• Native Area: South Africa
• USDA Growing Zones: 8–10b (grown as an annual elsewhere)
• Height: 12–18 inches
• Sun Exposure: Full
• Flower Color: Yellow, white, pink, red, orange, violet, lavender, salmon, and bicolored. 

Marguerite Daisy

The Marguerite daisy, Argyranthemum frutescens, also known as the cobbitty daisy, thrills gardeners with its vibrant colors. These are annuals in all but the warmest growing zones, so they won't return after winter, but you will get a full season of repeating blooms.

Marguerite daisies are at their best during spring and fall when nighttime temperatures are below 75 degrees. However, if you shear them back in the summer, they'll bounce back with a new flush of blooms when the autumn rains arrive.

• Native Area: Canary Islands
• USDA Growing Zones: 10–11 (grown as an annual elsewhere)
• Height: 2–3 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full
• Flower Color: Yellow, pink, white

Oxeye Daisy

What's considered a vigorous plant in one garden is considered a weed in another, and that's true for the oxeye daisy, Leucanthemum vulgare. The spreading nature and drought tolerance of the plants make them pasture pests.

These short-lived perennials are discouraged in a dozen continental states because they're considered invasive. However, in tamer settings, oxeye daisies are welcome for their three-month bloom time.

Consider using them in a small, well-kept wildflower garden, or allow them to naturalize in your cottage garden.

• Native Area: Europe
• USDA Growing Zones: 3–8
• Height: 1–3 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full
• Flower Color: White

Painted Daisy

The ease of care and vivid blooms of the painted daisy, Tanacetum coccineum, make it deserving of a spot in every cutting garden. It starts blooming in early summer and may even put on a second, smaller showing in the fall if you deadhead the faded blooms. Varieties like 'James Kelway' are easy to start from seed or try the pale pink 'Eileen May Robinson.'

Painted daisies grow well in warm weather, but when summer's high heat sets in, they may start to wilt. They'd rather be in drought than in sweltering, humid weather. Butterflies love these vibrant flowers but after the fernlike leaves appear in spring, watch out for aphids and leafminer.

• Native Area: Eastern Europe, Iran, and Central Asia
• USDA Growing Zones: 3–7
• Height: 2–3 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
• Flower Color: Blooms ranging from white to pink, red, crimson, and magenta

Shasta Daisy

A cross of the oxeye daisy and three other wild daisies yielded the beloved Shasta daisy, Leucanthemum x superbum, which received its common name from the white snow of Mount Shasta in California. The many cultivars of this daisy offer gardeners several different looks for their flower borders, ranging from the yellow 'Banana Cream' to the frilly, fringed 'Phyllis Smith.' The 'Becky' and 'Alaska' varieties are widely sold and look like the classic daisy flower seen in many cottage gardens.

These plants bloom across a long season but reach their peak in June and July. Although they're low-maintenance, Shasta daisies don’t like wet feet and will sometimes fail to reappear in the garden after a soggy winter.

Divide the plants every two years to keep them vigorous. If you are looking for a similarly low-maintenance daisy, the bush daisy is a good option as well.

• Native Area: Nursery hybrid; parent species are native to Europe, Japan
• USDA Growing Zones: 4–9
• Height: 1–4 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full
• Flower Color: White and yellow

Swan River Daisy

A warm-weather perennial from Australia, the swan river daisy, Brachyscome iberidifolia, produces small flowers, only about 1 inch in diameter. But the blooms are so colorful and abundant—and the flower works so well with other garden plants—that it can serve as a central feature of any flower garden.

Blooms appear in abundance from summer into fall, while the foliage is a softly textured gray-green hue.

• Native Area: Australia
• USDA Growing Zones: 2–8 (annual), 9-11 (perennial)
• Height: 1 to 1.5 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full
• Flower Color: Lavender, blue, yellow, or white

Gloriosa Daisy

Gloriosa daisy, Rudbeckia hirta, is a sunny yellow flower with a dark center. These tall daisies are favorites of pollinators and bloom consistently throughout the summer and fall.

They are easy to grow and provide color year after year, adding a cheerful touch to both wildflower-inspired gardens as well as flower gardens. They make an excellent backdrop behind a shorter border flower. Gloriosa daisies are also popular daisies for florists, and they're stunning in a summer or early fall bouquet.

• Native Area: North America
• USDA Growing Zones: 3-8
• Height: 2 to 3 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial sun
  
• Flower Color: Yellow

Golden Marguerite Daisy

If you want brilliant mounds of yellow sprinkled throughout your yard and you're getting a late start to gardening season, then it might be time to plant Golden Marguerite, Anthemis tinctoria.

This sunny daisy is fast-growing and will bloom continuously throughout the summer. They also put off a lovely fragrance that will draw in bees and give your garden a scent that's similar to chamomile.

• Native Area: Europe, the Mediterranean, Western Asia
• USDA Growing Zones: 3-8
• Height: 2 to 3 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full
  
• Flower Color: Yellow

Coneflower Daisy

When you see a native garden in the United States, there's a good chance that coneflower, Echinacea, is one of the flowers featured. These vibrant flowers are a favorite of gardeners because of their hardy nature, drought tolerance, and ability to attract pollinators of all kinds.

If you decide to plant these perennials in your garden and don't get a bloom in the first year, don't despair. They can take up to two years to produce their first purple buds.

• Native Area: North America
• USDA Growing Zones: 3-8
• Height: 2 to 4 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full sun, partial shade
  
• Flower Color: Purple

Cape Daisy

The colorful Cape daisy (Osteospermum) or African daisy, and its perky blooms can be found in a variety of colors. Their flowers are composed of two layers of petals measuring up to 4" wide. The petals close up at night or anytime the sun isn't shining above. Conserving all that energy pays off—these flowers bloom from early spring through the first frost.

• Native Area: South Africa
• USDA Growing Zones: 10-11
• Height: 1 to 3 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full
  
• Flower Color: Purple, pink, white, yellow, and blue.

Chrysanthemum

An abundant mound of chrysanthemums is a fall garden staple, but you may not have realized that mums are part of the daisy family.

Mums are most often grown as annuals, with gardeners buying them just in time for a vibrant fall bloom. But the experts know that the trick is to buy chrysanthemums full of unopened buds—if you buy a plant full of blooms, your time with those flowers is limited. Keep in mind they need lots of water for consistently moist soil.

• Native Area: Asia, Europe
  
• USDA Growing Zones: 3-9
• Height: 2 to 3 feet tall
• Sun Exposure: Full
  
• Flower Color: White, yellow, orange, red, pink, and purple.

Gaillardia Daisy

The gorgeous shades of Gaillardia are also commonly called blanket flowers for their tendency to spread across the ground, forming a richly colored blanket. Each individual plant can quickly spread up to 20", adding a vibrant look to a garden.

If you want instant impact in your yard, look for blanket flowers in a nursery. If you decide to grow it from seed (which is an easy process!), expect to see blooms in its second year.

• Native Area: North America
• USDA Growing Zones: 3-10
• Height: 2 to 3 feet tall
• Sun Exposure: Full
  
• Flower Color: Red and yellow

Aster Daisy

The pretty blooms of aster daisy, Symphyotrichum, are easy to grow in their natural habitat.

Their delicate yet cheerful blooms can be found in a variety of colors, though a lavender purple is a fall-blooming season favorite, particularly thanks to the contrast with its yellow center. They're also popular with pollinators, making them an excellent plant for native gardens.

• Native Area: North America
• USDA Growing Zones: 4-8
• Height: 4 feet high
• Sun Exposure: Full
  
• Flower Color: Pink, purple, blue, white

Blue Daisy

Blue daisy, Felicia amelloides, is one of the daisy varieties that grows into a small, low-maintenance perennial shrub that is covered in flowers. They attract pollinators including bees and butterflies.

Blooming all summer long, the blue daisy provides a cool anecdote to the pinks, oranges, and yellows you'll find throughout most gardens.

• Native Area: South Africa
• USDA Growing Zones: 8-11
• Height: 1 to 2 feet tall
• Sun Exposure: Full
  
• Flower Color: Periwinkle blue

Chocolate Daisy

Surprisingly, chocolate daisy (Berlandiera lyrata) isn't named for its rich, dark red-brown center, but rather for its fragrance. This cheerful flower smells just like chocolate and fills the air with its delicious aroma as it blooms all summer long. This hardy plant can tolerate extreme conditions, including drought and cold.

• Native Area: Southwestern United States and Mexico
• USDA Growing Zones: 4-9
• Height: 12 to 15 inches tall
• Sun Exposure: Full
  
• Flower Color: Yellow

Desert Star Daisy

The darling Desert Star Daisy, Monoptilon bellidiforme, is one of the smallest daisies, yet it's also one of the hardiest. This desert plant is drought-resistant and self-seeds readily, spreading more and more with each passing year. It's perfect for planting in rock gardens and xeriscaping.

• Native Area: Mojave Desert
• USDA Growing Zones: 9a-10b
• Height: 3 inches
• Sun Exposure: Full
  
• Flower Color: White or rose-tinged

Euryops Daisy

Euryops daisy (Euryops pectinatus), which is commonly known as bush daisy for its bush-like growing habit, has the iconic yellow daisy look. These perennials bloom abundantly all summer long before dying back for the winter and preparing to make their reappearance when warm weather returns.

• Native Area: South Africa
• USDA Growing Zones: 9B-11
• Height: 2 to 3 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full
  
• Flower Color: Yellow

Curly Leaf Daisy

The curly leaf daisy (Arctotis revoluta) adds a cheery touch of color to gardens in warmer weather clients. Known for their drought tolerance, curly leaf daisies thrive in the heat and will bloom from spring through early fall.

• Native Area: South Africa
• USDA Growing Zones: 9-11
• Height: 1 to 2 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full
  
• Flower Color: Yellow

Dahlberg Daisy

While Dahlberg daisies, Thymophylla tenuiloba, can be grown as a perennial, they're often grown as an annual due to their short blooming season. These small, spreading plants produce petite flowers that are often no more than 1/2 inch across.

They're a lovely plant to fill space throughout borders and in rock gardens, and you don't have to worry about watering them often—they're tolerant of both drought and hot weather.

• Native Area: North America
• USDA Growing Zones: 9-11
• Height: 6 inches to 1 foot
• Sun Exposure: Full
  
• Flower Color: Yellow gold

Florist’s Daisy

The blooms of the florist's daisy (Chrysanthemum morifolium), a type of chrysanthemum, somehow seem both delicate and strong. They have a tissue paper-like quality to them, yet they're so full and abundant that they bring rich, vibrant color to bouquets and floral arrangements alike.

They come in a variety of colors that are perfect for adding a pop of color to floral decor, hence their name. They bloom throughout late summer and fall, though florists will keep them in their repertoire all year long.

• Native Area: Asia, Europe
• USDA Growing Zones: 3-9
• Height: 2 to 3 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full
• Flower Color: Deep pink, red, vibrant orange, purple,

Crown Daisy

The yellow ring around the center of the crown daisy (Glebionis coronaria) forms a cheerful crown amidst its white petals. This perennial blooms from late spring through autumn, producing these joyful 2-inch flowers. Bees and butterflies are drawn to their vibrant centers, making them the perfect plant for a pollinator garden.

They're also low maintenance and have one even more important characteristic — their leaves and flowers are edible.

• Native Area: Mediterranean
• USDA Growing Zones: 5-9
• Height: 2 to 4 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full
  
• Flower Color: White with a yellow center

Damianita Daisy

If you want to add a fragrant, colorful, and drought-tolerant flower to your garden, then the Damianita daisy, Chrysactinia Mexicana, should be at the top of your list. These abundant blooms cover the ground in spring and fall, making them a gorgeous choice for rock gardens and other hard landscapes. Plus, this daisy is deer-resistant and bugs typically aren't interested in its foliage or flowers.

• Native Area: Mexico and Southwestern United States
• USDA Growing Zones: 7-11
• Height: 1 to 2 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full
  
• Flower Color: Yellow

Livingstone Daisy

The petite blooms of the Livingstone daisy, Dorotheanthus bellidiformis, form a colorful carpet that thrives in poor, sandy soil. This cheerful flower that does best before summer's heat has set in and thrives in coastal environments.

• Native Area: South Africa
• USDA Growing Zones: 9-10
• Height: 6 inches
• Sun Exposure: Full
• Flower Color: Orange, red, pink, yellow, and white blooms

Blue-eyed Daisy

Blue-eyes daisies (Arctotis stoechadifolia), have an eye-catching look, with a brilliant violet-blue center offset by bright white petals. These lovely flowers close up each evening as the sun sets, revealing a surprising lavender underside. This flower doesn't grow tall, but its stunning blooms are a fabulous addition to a warm-weather garden.

• Native Area: Cape Province
• USDA Growing Zones: 8-11
• Height: 1 to 2 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full
• Flower Color: White with violet-blue center

Butter Daisy

Small butter daises (Melampodium divaricatum), have golden yellow flowers with darker gold centers that resemble small sunflowers. These annuals bloom continuously from May until the first frost, making them a favorite of gardeners looking for a low-maintenance, easy-to-grow flower that will give them an abundant return of blooms.

Butter daisies grow quickly during their one season of life. They should reach flowering within six to eight weeks if you grow them from seed.

• Native Area: Central America, South America, southern North America
• USDA Growing Zones: 2-11
• Height: 6 to 24 inches tall
• Sun Exposure: Full
  
• Flower Color: Golden yellow

Tips for Growing Daisies

• Plant daisies in a sunny spot in the garden.
• Daisies can grow in any soil but prefer a well-draining, nutrient-rich soil.
• Water each week, even though most varieties of daisy are fairly tolerant.
• Apply compost and mulch in the spring to control weeds.
• Prune to reduce a straggly, leggy appearance and deadhead spent flowers.