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How to Grow Shasta Daisies: A Cheerful Guide to Planting & Care

Learn how to plant and grow shasta daisies, a classic perennial.

Botanical Name
Leucanthemum x superbum
Grown as
Perennial
USDA Zones
4a
4b
5a
5b
6a
6b
7a
7b
8a
8b
9a
9b
Toxicity
Toxic to Dogs and Cats
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Water Needs
Low
Height
1–3 feet
Spread
1–3 feet
Soil pH
Neutral
Bloom Time
Summer
Fall
Flower Color
White
Special Features
Container-Friendly
Cut Flower
Disease-Resistant
Long Blooming
Low Maintenance
Attracts Butterflies
Attracts Pollinators
Attracts Songbirds
Deer-resistant
Rabbit-resistant
Resilience
Cold Hardy
Drought-Tolerant
Heat-Tolerant
Salt Tolerant
Plant Type
Flowers
Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Looking to add a pop of sunshine to your garden? Meet the Shasta daisy, cheerful, low-maintenance, and endlessly charming! These classic white-and-yellow perennials are more than just pretty faces. 

With their long blooming season, pollinator-friendly petals, and fuss-free personality, Shasta daisies are a dream come true for beginners and seasoned gardeners alike. In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know to grow and care for Shasta daisies—from planting tips to keeping them blooming bright all summer long.

Shasta daisies return each year in late spring or early summer and continue blooming into early fall, forming tidy clumps about 2 to 3 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet wide. Their glossy green foliage and sturdy stems make them excellent for garden beds, borders, and long-lasting cut flower arrangements. Because they can spread over time and may self-seed, some gardeners choose to remove spent blooms or plant them in contained beds to keep growth manageable.

Buy Seeds Now

These easy-care perennials attract pollinators and provide consistent color throughout the summer, making them a dependable choice for sunny garden spaces, cottage gardens, and fresh-cut bouquets.

Planting

Where to Plant Shasta Daisies

Grow daisies in full sun for the best blooms. 

Soil should be moderately fertile—too rich, and you’ll get more vegetation than flowers. The soil should also be moist but well-draining.

To improve soil fertility before planting, loosen the soil to a depth of 12 to 15 inches, then mix in a 2- to 4-inch layer of compost.

When to Plant Shasta Daisies

  • Sow seeds in containers in a cold frame in autumn or spring.
  • If you seed directly, expect blooms after one season’s growth the following spring.
  • If purchasing a plant in a container, plant in spring or early fall.

How to Plant Shasta Daisies

  • Space plants 1 to 2 feet apart. Dig a hole twice the diameter of the container.
  • When placing the plant in the hole, make sure the top of the root ball is level with the soil surface.
  • Fill around the root ball and firm the soil.
  • Water thoroughly.
  • Taller plants may need support/staking.

Growing

  • Water during the summer only if rainfall is less than 1 inch per week. Daisies are generally tolerant of dry spells once they are established.
  • Every spring, apply some compost and mulch to help control weeds.
  • As flowers fade, deadhead to extend the blooming season.
  • After the first killing frost, cut stems back to an inch or two above the soil line. (See local frost dates.)

Dividing Daisies

To keep daisies blooming their best, plan to divide them every 2 to 3 years in early spring (before flowers appear) or in late summer or early fall (after flowers fade). Signs that a plant should be divided include:

  • Less-vigorous foliage growth
  • Smaller flowers or fewer flowers overall
  • Parts of the plant appear sparse or dead (especially the center of a clump)

How to Divide Daisies

  1. Use a spade or garden fork to loosen the soil around the plant, then gently remove it from the soil, doing your best to leave most roots intact.
  2. Brush or shake off soil from the roots. Then, using a sharp knife or pruning shears, divide the plant into two or more pieces, ensuring that each piece has at least a few stems and healthy-looking roots. Discard any diseased or damaged pieces.
  3. Replant the divisions as desired (spaced about 1-2 feet apart).

Harvesting

  • Shasta daisies make for a lovely cut flower, lasting a week or more in arrangements.

Pests and Problems

Daisies are generally low maintenance and disease resistant. However, the following may occasionally be troublesome:

Types

  • ‘Becky’ is a classic variety with large flowers that grows to about 3 feet tall.
  • ‘Cobham Gold’ is a popular variety with double flower heads and a yellow disc carried atop 2-foot stems.
  • ‘Horace Reed’ is an elegant daisy with double white flower heads and incurved disk florets.
  • ‘Snow Lady’ is a fast-growing, erect, bushy perennial that blooms the first year from seed and produces single white flower heads in the summer.

Wit and Wisdom

  • Daisies are one of the April birth flowers. They are also said to symbolize innocence and hope. Learn more flower meanings here.
  • A European native, Shasta daisies are now naturalized throughout North America.

Black bees on the clover-heads drowsily clinging, 
Where tall feathered grasses and buttercups sway; 
And all through the fields a white sprinkle of daisies, 
Open-eyed at the setting of day. 
–Abba Woolson

Flowers

About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening, so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana.

Read more from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 08/11/2014 - 09:17

You can plant shasta daisies in the fall in Colorado. If planting now, perhaps plant in partial shade; ensure soil is moist and well-draining. Deadhead your flowers to make sure the plant keeps blooming.

 <span>Tomc</span> Mon, 07/28/2014 - 09:50
I have planted daisy seeds several times. I used a starter tray and have planted directly outdoors. The seeds sprout, grow to about an inch, and flop over and die. What could be going wrong?
<span>Hennah</span> Tue, 08/26/2014 - 12:13
I planted daisy seeds indoors using small clay pots. After about three months I took them outdoors in a sheltered area. They are growing nicely. I also used a starter tray at the same time as the pots but they did not make it past an inch as well.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 07/28/2014 - 16:25

Daisies can be challenging to grow from seed. They are extremely sensitive. We could go into all the reasons why, but suffice it to say that many folks are better off purchasing this type of flower from nurseries as transplants.

 <span>Carol Barany</span> Sat, 07/19/2014 - 11:15
I dont want my shastas 4feet tall. Can I pinch them early in the season like I do with mums to keep them bushy and shorter?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 07/21/2014 - 18:08

Yes, it's a good idea to pinch shasta daisies early in the growing season. Pinching will make plants more compact and yield more blooms.

 <span>Anonymous</span> Fri, 07/18/2014 - 15:24
I just purchased 2 shasta daisy plants on a clearance rack. I live in Las Vegas. I replanted them in a ceramic planter and placed them on the front lawn. They will get plenty of sun. Should I water them at night? Should I cut the heads the are dead down now at the end of July? Many of them were dead when I purchased them last night. What is the best food to feed them and when? (time of day?) I am very new at gardening and I am not having the best luck when I plant in the ground so I wanted to try this ceramic pot. I hope it will work. I will remember to divide them when necessary. Thank you.
<span>Fred Neikirk</span> Tue, 07/15/2014 - 16:36
I am a newbee and dumb as a rock but I'm trying for my first time and I really enjoyed all the comments..Sorry but I may have overlooked the answer but can I plant the deadheaded Shasta blooms directly back in the ground and them grow? it's July in Southern KY and HOT!! Thank you for your help!!!
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Thu, 07/17/2014 - 08:06

Hi Fred, Gardening is always a learning process--for all of us.
If you wish to propagate (breed) new shasta daisies from the ones that you have, here's what you do:

Do not deadhead some of your flowers. Let your petals stay on the plant and dry out. This allows the seed heads to develop.  Once the petals are dry, you can deadhead them in early fall and put the entire flower in a paper back. Leave them for a week to dry further. Then just squeeze the dried heads with your fingers (over a paper bag) and the seeds will release and fall to the bottom of the bag. Once you collect the seeds, you can replant in the fall or spring when it is cooler.

 <span>Vixen</span> Thu, 07/17/2014 - 14:00
I purchased the Daisies in June in full bloom. We planted them as soon as we got them. They thrived for about 2 1/2 weeks and flowers slowing started to die. I deadheaded all the dead flowers now the plants are dying. We've been having a lot of rain here lately (NJ) and I'm wondering if that is the cause? I just read that I wasn't suppose to deadhead, but they looked so ugly! Is there any chance of recovery? Or have murdered my babies? lol!