Bellis – Daisy and Daisy-like

Prairie Daisy

Daisies

Daisies are simple yet sophisticated and are some of the most beautiful flowers in the floral world. Daisies convey cheer and exuberance in spades. Not surprisingly, daisies are popular both for gifting and growing in gardens.

Daisies belong to the daisy family of Compositae, now known as Asteraceae in flowering plants. Daisies are native to north and central Europe.

The origin of the word Daisy is the Anglo Saxon “daes eage” which literally mean “day’s eye”. It was called this because daisies open at dawn as the day just starts to begin.

Black Eyed Susan

Kingdom – Plantae

Phylum –Anthophyta

Class – Magnoliopsida

Order –Asterales

Family – Asteraceae

Genus – Bellis

A Daisy symbolizes innocence and purity. It can also symbolize new beginnings. The flower meaning of daisy is loyal love and I will never tell.

Some Interesting Facts about Daisies

• A Daisy is a perennial whose evergreen leaves form a basal tuft or a rosette.
• Daisy flower plant has a prostrate fashion or a growing habit of spreading.
• Daisies can be propagated by division in spring or through sowing seeds in spring or late autumn.
• English Daisy is a serious weed in the northwest United States.
• The Daisy flowers open at dawn and are visited by many small insects.
• Daisies are used by children to make daisy chains.
• The Daisy’s leaves are edible and can be used in salads.

Gloriosa Daisy

About the Daisy Plant and Flower

A Daisy flower is composed of white petals and a yellow centre, although the flower can sometimes have a pink or rose color.

Daisies are not made of just one flower.

A Daisy is made up of two types of flowers – disk florets and petal-like white ray florets. The disk florets are at the center and the ray florets are at the periphery but they are arranged to give the impression of being a single flower. This arrangement on Daisies is a type of inflorescence known as a capitulum.

African Daisy

The stems of Daisies are smooth and leafless and support a single flower. Daisy plants have 3 – 4 inch flower stalks. The Daisy leaf texture varies and may be smooth or hairy, narrow at the base and slightly lobed. The Daisy flower stalks are generally longer than the leaves.

 

Varieties of Daisies

Some of the varieties of Daisies are the white Daisy-like flowers, the Spanish Daisy, Blue Daisy, Lazy Daisy or Prairie Daisy, African Daisy, Michaelmas Daisy, Swan River Daisy, Tatarian Daisy, Painted Daisy, Paris Daisy, Shasta Daisy, Crown-Daisy, Ox-eye Daisy, Nippon Oxeye Daisy, Giant Daisy, African Daisy, Kingfisher Daisy, Sunshine Daisy, Gerbera Daisy, Transvaal Daisy or Barberton Daisy, Tahoka Daisy, Livingstone Daisy, Gloriosa Daisy, Dahlberg Daisy and Butter Daisy.

 

Mountain Daisy

Painted Daisy

Gerbera

Hazy Daisy