English Daisy

Bellis perennis L.

Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

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Bellis perennis L., English Daisy: (Bayer Code: BELPE; US Code BEPE2)

Simple perennial with compressed stems and oval, hairy leaves, native to Europe in the Sunflower/Aster Family (Asteraceae)
Leaves stay in rosette formation, with oval leaf blades with smooth or scalloped margins; leaf blades taper down at base to join stem
Produces head-type, daisy-like flowers atop a short to elongated, naked flower stem
Flowers usually have a flattened center of yellow disk of disk flowers, surrounded by numerous slender ray flowers (typical daisy appearance) that are usually white, but may be pink or red; flowers 0.5-1.5 inches diameter
Prefers moist, fertile, cool, soils; tolerates moderate shade in southern areas
Flowers can form under normal lawn-mowing height
Reproduces by offsets from parent plant and by seed
Similar weeds with white daisy flowers with yellow centers:
- Oxeye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) has taller stems with leaves on them and more common on drier soils in full-sun locations
- Mayweed chamomile (Anthemis cotula) has flowers at tips of leafy stems, and leaves are very finely-divided and have a strong, bad odor
- False chamomile (Tripleurosperma maritima) also has flowers at tips of leafy stems with finely-divided leaves, but plants have little to no odor
More common in Northeast and Northwestern U.S., but can be found in old landscapes, shaded sites in Missouri

(Updated January 19, 2019)