Leucanthemum x superbum

Plant Image Data Base

Leucanthemum x superbum

Shasta Daisy

(Asteraceae [also known as Compositae] - Daisy Family)

Form

Culture

full sun to partial shade
needs a moist, rich, well-drained soil in full sun for best performance; if sited in dry soils, then partial sun to partial shade is necessary; if sited in wet or poorly drained soils, crown rot and plant death will almost always occur
propagated by clump division or by seeds (clumps perform best if they are divided every third year, to maintain overall plant compactness and vigor)
Daisy Family, with few disease or pest problems
abundantly available in container form

Foliage

shiny dark green, alternate, oblanceolate to lanceolate, and coarsely dentate
leaves to 1' long if arising from the crown, but becoming much shorter as they progress upward along the flowering stems
for some cultivars, miniature leaves that emerge from the crown in autumn are partially evergreen during mild winters (especially if covered with blown leaves)

Flowers

white petals (ray flowers) surround a yellow center (disc flowers), from 2" to 5" across, depending upon cultivar
flowering prominently in July for about a four week period, and often sporadically thereafter, especially if regularly deadheaded (or live headed, as this is one of the best cut flowers available)

Fruits

ornamentally unattractive; regularly deadhead to remove spent blossoms and to promote rebloom

Twigs

flowering stems are 2' to 4' tall on the larger cultivars, and can be pinched back when they are about half of their mature height (that is, at 1' to 2') to promote compactness with a slightly later bloom time and to avoid future lodging (flopping over); cultivars that have stems that mature at 2' or less in height generally do not need this treatment

Function

Texture

medium texture for shorter cultivars, but medium-bold texture for taller cultivars
average density for shorter cultivars, but open density for taller cultivars

Assets

spectacular white floral display in early summer
one of the best herbaceous plants for cut flowers
may bloom reasonably well the first year if sown very early from seed (unusual for a perennial)

Liabilities

looks best if periodically deadheaded to remove unsightly spent flowers and to promote further flowering (high maintenance)

Habitat

zones 5 to 9
the original Shasta Daisies were of hybrid origin from Luther Burbank working with several species of Daisy near Mount Shasta, California; many modern cultivars also exist

Variants

many exist, selected for compactness or long-stemmed height, floral size, single or double flowering, and longevity or repetitiveness of bloom period; a sampling of cultivars includes:
Leucanthemum x superbum 'Aglaya' - frilled double flowers to 3" across, 2' tall
Leucanthemum x superbum 'Alaska' - single flowers to 3" across, 2.5' tall, hardy to zone 4
Leucanthemum x superbum 'Little Miss Muffet' - semi-double flowers to 2" across, 1' tall
Leucanthemum x superbum 'Marconi' - semi-double flowers to 5" across, 3' tall
Leucanthemum x superbum 'Thomas Killen' - single flowers with a double row of white petals surrounding a raised yellow center, to 3" across, 2.5' tall with thick stems

Purpose

Shasta Daisy, good as a focal point in the garden or as a naturalized perennial, is perhaps the best cutflower for white flowers in Summer; proponents of White Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea 'Alba' or 'White Swan') might argue against this, but it has fewer stems and several flowers per stem that bloom sequentially, so taking cuttings from White Coneflower has a more negative impact on the remaining plant than does Shasta Daisy, which has many stems with typically one flower each.

Summary

Leucanthemum x superbum is known for its prominent Summer white floral display above lush dark green foliage, with an overall upright to rounded habit, often used as a focal point or in naturalized mass plantings.