Top 10 Daisy Flower Varieties - Know The Benefits, Uses, and Care Tips
Flowers are the light of any ambiance, with an innate ability to uplift every surrounding with charm, love, and beauty. All gardeners worldwide love propagating and maintaining a flower garden. While each might have their favorite flower, the daisies are among the most favorable flowering buddies worldwide. Let’s understand the intricacies of growing India's top 10 daisy flower plants and the daisy flower season in India.
What Is A Daisy Plant?
The daisy flowers were first seen in the surreal lands of Europe, where they were termed common daisies for common men. Lawn daisy, English daisy, and Mary’s rose are other nicknames attributed to the plant. However, in the botanical world, they are described as Bellis Perennis. The term ‘Bellis’ has roots in the Latin word ‘Bellus,’ which means ‘pretty,’ and ‘Perennis’ is Latin for ‘everlasting.’ Perhaps the plants as a whole are described as something that has everlasting beauty.
Like sunflowers, this plant gets pregnant with gorgeous blooms that exhibit heliotropism, a phenomenon when the flowers follow the sun’s gaze. This is also why the daisies close themselves off after the sun sets, unfolding with the first rays of dawn. There are about twenty thousand daisy plants, most of which are hardy and trained to resist droughts.
What Are The Top 10 Daisy Flower Plants In India?
We couldn’t compile a list of a thousand species, so here’s a handpicked manual of our favorite daisy varieties:
1. Common Daisy
The common daisy is the most typical variety of daisies, also called the English daisy and the Lawn daisy. It comes from the native areas of Europe but is categorized as an invasive species in the Australian and American regions. This plant blooms with delicate flowers, numerous white petals, and a furry yellow center. These blooms rely on the sun’s energy to unwrap themselves and dance to the beats of the mighty sun! In a flower bed, they look enormously stunning, spreading grace and purity all along!
2. African Daisy
As the name implies, the African daisy flowers trace their lineage back to Africa, and they have about seventy species under the same name. Although the plant is a close cousin of the common daisy in appearance, the shapes and detailing of the petals might differ from one species to another. The daisy flower colour carries a spectrum of shades, like purple, white, yellow, and pink. Most of these species are perennial, so they can’t tolerate too much heat and stop flowering after the summer temperatures begin to soar. Once planted in railing planters, this plant will steal everyone’s heart!
3. Gerbera Daisy
Another group of daisy species from Africa, the Gerbera daisy flower, consists of twenty-two species - all otherworldly! They are also known locally as Transvaal daisies and Barberton daisies. Their perennial nature allows them to produce eye-catching blooms throughout the summer, late until the autumn. These flowers look pretty vibrant with an orangish-red tint and globular furry center. When grown in floor planters, this plant takes a maximum elevation of eighteen inches and looks super compact and beautiful!
4. Gloriosa Daisy
Another name for this plant is the Black-Eyed Susan Daisy. This plant belongs to the charming landscapes of America, but it later naturalized in the scenic states of China. The Gloriosa daisy might deceive you into thinking that it’s a sunflower. The difference lies in the flower’s growth inclinations of facing the sun; while the sunflowers look forward, the daisies look upward. However, like sunflowers, these daisies also carry a bright yellow or gold shade with a brownish middle attached to an erect stem. This one looks amazing when propagated in ceramic pots that match its vibrant aura!
5. Golden Marguerite Daisy
This plant originated in the magnificent areas of Europe and western Asia but later spread to America. It gets another name due to the subtle aroma of its flowers - yellow chamomile. The plant looks supreme on maturity, elevating about two feet from the ground. One may also grow it in containers, though it will look best in large flower beds. The flowers as a whole look like a yellow blotch over the green background of its foliage. These blooms are at their best during the hot months of the year!
6. Blue-eyed African Daisy
Also called Karoo Marigold, this plant belongs to the native areas of Africa. It grows in a bushy manner with a maximum elevation of nineteen inches. The flowers look as if they have descended straight from the heavens; while the petals are pure white, the center stays mauve blue with a circular highlight of yellow. This plant got its name from its blue fur-like middle part. It looks bright and beautiful when grown as a ground cover.
7. Desert Star
This tiny species of daisies originated in the desert landscapes of Mojave and Sonoran. The desert star is really the star of the desert, as this plant blooms even in the roughest conditions. It has been trained to drought-prone areas, where it can withstand long periods of intense heat with low rain. However, the plant’s height depends on the rainfall, as it will only grow half an inch in hardcore deserts, but it will grow to ten inches where rains are ample.
8. Moon Daisy
A local of the temperate regions of Asia and Europe, the moon daisy is a piece of incredible beauty. This plant is also known by several names, like ox-eye daisy, dog daisy, and common margueritte. Its primary name, ox-eye daisy, comes from its appearance - flat white petals with a furry yellow center, where the center impersonates an ox’s eye. Its maximum growth has been recorded as three to four feet with a width of one to two feet, as the plant can branch out to produce two flowers from a single branch!
9. Painted Daisy
These are some of the most enchanting daisy varieties in Asian landscapes. Also called Pyrethum daisy, this plant flowers alike the common daisy, the only difference being the rainbow hues of the painted daisy’s blooms. Its flowers range from pink to crimson to purple to white, all carrying a fluffy yellow center. It will undoubtedly add layers of colors to your garden. One may grow it in terracotta pots to balance the flowers' appealing vibe with the pots' rugged vibe!
10. Chocolate Daisy
Aren’t you guys in for a treat? Imagine having a blooming beauty in your garden that smells like a whiff of pure hot cocoa! The chocolate daisy grows old with mystical flowers with seven to eight yellow petals and a dark furry center. The uniqueness of these flowers lies in the surreal aromas of these flowers that take us back to our chocolate cravings! A drought-resistant variant, this plant only requires watering when the soil is completely dried; thus, it is a low-maintenance flowering plant that everyone should have at their home!
How To Care For Daisy Plants?
Growing purple daisy flowers will be a walk in the park after you go through the following care guidelines:
➥ Propagation
You can, of course, buy a healthy plant from online gardening stores, but you can also buy decorative plant seeds and start your daisy garden from scratch. Begin by soaking the seeds in water for one or two hours, then put the daisy seeds in seedling trays filled with cocopeat, after which put another layer of cocopeat over them. Ideally, the seeds should take about fifteen to twenty days to sprout in new beginnings.
➥ Soil
White daisy flowers love the acidic quality of soil, so ensure the soil’s pH ranges between six to seven. The soil should be rich with organic matter like vermicompost. It should also be well-nourished, well-draining, sandy to loamy, and fertile.
➥ Sunshine
The blue daisy flowers will require full sun with temperatures ranging from sixteen to twenty-five degrees Celsius. However, it is suggested that you understand the needs of your chosen species, as some of them might prefer a shaded residence. Further, most of these species are hardy and robust enough to handle droughts; some might wither due to intense heat.
➥ Hydration
Planting pink daisy flowers in pots with drainage holes is essential, as the plant doesn’t like waterlogging. Also, hydrate them generously, but watch out for any overwatering. Ensure no water touches the leaves by directing it to the plant’s roots.
➥ Nourishment
Treating your daisies with more health and joy with additional boosters will burst with more health and joy. You can choose from chemical and organic fertilizers, seaweed, vermicompost, and Epsom salt to fulfill your daisy plant’s nourishment requirements.
What Are The Uses And Benefits Of Daisy Plants?
Before you run out and pluck the daisies flowing in your garden, here’s a disclaimer: not every daisy plant is fit for consumption and usage, so it is better to first learn about the species and then use it in our routine lives. Having said that, the following daisy flower benefits are associated with the common daisy plant:
➧ One may use the young red daisy flower buds in salads, sandwiches, and soups. The plant’s leaves, though bitter, can be mixed in salads for a bitter-tangy taste.
➧ The infamous daisy tea is a brilliant remedy to eliminate inflammations from the body and improve blood circulation in the body. As per research, daisies carry an enormous amount of vitamin C, enough to rejuvenate the cells.
➧ The daisy tea is also used for treating high fevers, liver issues, coughs & colds, headaches, and digestive problems. Some people also make a daisy moisturizer to treat burns and improve weak eyes.
➧ Lastly, the daisy plant is revered for its ornamental value worldwide. This plant is enough to light up any space with its subliminal existence!
Concluding all this, the daisy plant is a heart-warming flowering buddy in the gardening industry. This plant is known for its decorative value and has other uses and benefits! You can pick from the aforementioned top 10 daisy flower plants or research some more to pick your favorite from the thousands of daisy species!
FAQs About The Top 10 Daisy Flower Plants In India
Ques: What Is The Blooming Season For Daisies?
Ans: Daisy plants flower according to the species and the weather outdoors, so most of them are seen flowering from summer to autumn.
Ques: How Long Will My Daisy Take To Flower?
Ans: The daisies will start to bloom after one to two years of propagation from seeds.
Ques: Is It Hard To Grow Daisy Plants At Home?
Ans: Daisies are one of the low-maintenance flowering plants in India, as they are quite drought tolerant, so maintaining them at home is not a tough task.
Ques: Why Is My Daisy Plant Not Flowering?
Ans: Check whether the plant is settled where it receives ample sunlight. Also, ensure the chosen species’s hydration preference and work accordingly.
Ques: Where Can I Buy Daisy Plants In India?
Ans: You can shop for daisy plants from authentic online gardening stores like Plantlane in India.