Shasta Daisy Care: How to Grow Healthy, Long-Blooming Plants
Shasta daisy care is simple, making these cheerful perennials a favorite in flower beds, cottage gardens, and sunny borders. Their bright white petals and golden yellow centers add weeks of summer color while requiring relatively little maintenance.
To grow Shasta daisies successfully, provide full sun, well-draining soil, and consistent moisture during their first growing season. Once established, these hardy plants return year after year and often produce even more blooms as the clumps mature.
This guide covers the essential care requirements for Shasta daisies, including planting, watering, fertilizing, pruning, propagation, and winter care, so you can enjoy healthy plants and abundant flowers season after season.
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Growing Shasta daisies overview
Here is a quick guide to the care of Shasta daisies:
- Common name: Shasta daisy
- Botanical name: Leucanthemum × superbum, formerly Chrysanthemum × superbum
- Family: Asteraceae
- Plant type: Perennial
- Sunlight needs: Full sun
- Soil requirements: Well-draining, fertile soil
- Soil pH: Slightly acidic to neutral
- Maintenance level: Low
- Bloom time: Early summer to early fall
- Flower color: White with a yellow center
- Mature size: 2 to 3 feet tall (60-90 cm), and 1 to 2 feet wide (30-60 cm)
- Hardiness zones: USDA 5-9
- Toxicity: Mildly toxic to both humans and pets
Planting Shasta daisies
You can grow Shasta daisies by either sowing seeds, planting seedlings, or planting established plants.Shasta daisy seeds or seedlings will bloom the year after planting. Established plants will flower the same year.
Planting Shasta daisy seeds
- Plant seeds ¼ inch (6mm) deep or scatter them and rake them into the soil.
- Seeds will germinate in 15-20 days.
- When the plants are 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm) tall and have developed their first set of leaves, thin them by removing the weakest seedlings.
- After thinning, the seedlings should be spaced 12-24 inches (30-60 cm) apart.
Growing Shasta daisy seedlings
- After the danger of frost has passed, plant Shasta daisy seedlings 12-24 inches (30-60 cm) apart.
- Dig a hole twice the diameter of your Shasta daisy plant container to give it room to grow and spread out.
Planting established Shasta daisies
You can also purchase established plants from a garden center in the spring.
- Space mature plants 12-24 inches (30-60 cm) apart.
- Dwarf varieties of Shasta daisies can be planted 12-18 inches (30-45 cm) apart, since these plants are smaller.
Shasta daisy care
These growing tips will help you care for Shasta daisy perennials in your garden.
Sunlight needs for Shasta daisies
- Shasta daisy likes full sun, but can benefit from partial sunlight in the hottest climates.
- Avoid planting them in full shade, as this will result in less prolific and more leggy blooms.
Soil requirements for Shasta daisy
- Shasta daisy perennials need well-draining, fertile soil to produce big blooms.
- Well-draining soil also reduces the risk of root rot.
- Enrich your soil by adding manure, compost, mulch (bark, hay, wood chips, mulched leaves, or straw)
- Growing cover crops in the late summer or fall also enriches the soil
How often should I water a Shasta daisy?
Shasta daisy is relatively drought-tolerant. As a general rule of thumb, it’s better to underwater Shasta daisies than it is to overwater them.
- Young plants need 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water a week.
- Be careful not to overwater since this can lead to root rot.
- Established Shasta daisy can tolerate limited periods of drought.
- With regular rainfall, Shasta daisies rarely need supplemental watering.
Fertilizing Shasta daisy
Shasta daisy perennials don’t require heavy fertilization.
- Feed the plant with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer in early spring.
- Use a fertilizer high in phosphorus in early summer to encourage more blooms.
- Over-fertilizing can lead to fertilizer burn and reduced flowering.
Shasta daisy flowers
Shasta daisy flowers have pure white petals with yellow centers and dark, glossy leaves.
- The plant has an upright habit with stiff stems and flowers that sit above the foliage.
- It blooms from early summer through early fall.
- Depending on the variety, there can be quite a bit of variation in the petals.
Some types have double flowers with multiple rows of petals, while others have filly or curly petals.
Some common varieties of Shasta daisy are:
- Becky – Longest blooming Shasta daisy with classic, single petals.
- Alaska – Large and full white flowers with yellow centers.
- Crazy Daisy – Thin, double, petals with a ruffled appearance.
- Daisy May – Produces prolific blooms and abundant side buds.
Pruning Shasta daisies
Proper pruning keeps Leucanthemum × superbum healthy and encourages a longer bloom time. It also prevents plants from becoming leggy and flopping over.
- Deadhead any spent flowers to help promote new blooms.
- Cut the stems back to the first set of healthy leaves.
- At the end of the season, after blooming has finished, cut Shasta daisies back to 3-4 inches (7.5-10 cm) above the ground.
Shasta daisy winter care
Shasta daisies are hardy perennials, but taking a few steps at the end of the season to protect them during the winter ensures that your plant will be strong the following season.
- Add 2-3 inches (5-7.5 cm) of straw, shredded leaves, or mulch around the base of your trimmed plants.
- Move container plants to a sheltered location or wrap them with burlap.
- Water them lightly before the ground freezes.
These steps help prevent root damage and give your Shasta daisies a great start in the spring.
Shasta daisy propagation
Propagating Shasta daisies can be done in three ways: by planting Shasta daisy seeds, by division, and with stem cuttings.
Division
The plant grows from rhizomes, which spread under the soil, so the size of the clump will increase fairly quickly. Once your clump of Shasta daisy plants is about 3 years old, it will become woody and die out in the center.
This is one of the reasons that Shasta daisies are considered short-lived perennials. To help them live longer, divide them in early spring when the plant starts to grow, or in fall after flowering is finished.
How to divide your Shasta daisies:
- Dig up the clump and discard the woody center.
- Separate the healthy sections from the center area.
- Replant these sections in your garden, spacing them 12-24 inches (30-60 cm) apart.
Stem cuttings
Taking stem cuttings, though possible, is a lesser-used method of Shasta daisy propagation.
- Cut 4-6 inches (10-15 cm) from the top of healthy, non-flowering stems in late spring or early summer.
- Remove the lower leaves, dip the cut ends in rooting hormone, and plant them in seed-starting soil.
- Keep the cuttings in bright, indirect light with slightly moist soil until roots develop, in about 3–4 weeks.
Shasta daisy pests and diseases
Generally speaking, Shasta daisies are low-maintenance when it comes to pests and diseases.
However, they could be susceptible to the following bugs:
To treat earwigs, mealybugs, and aphids, you can use neem oil. You can use organic slug pellets to deter slugs.
Overwatering can lead to fungal diseases, specifically bacterial leaf spot. To prevent this, make sure to give your plants good circulation and avoid overhead watering.
Shasta daisy plant care printable
If you’d like a reminder of how to grow Shasta daisy plants, you can print out a list of care tips as a high-resolution image here. You can also get the printable from the project card at the bottom of the post in a slightly smaller size.
With the right care, Shasta daisies will reward you with cheerful blooms year after year—making them a timeless favorite for any perennial garden.
FAQ: Growing Shasta daisy plants
1. What are good companion plants for Shasta daisies?
Black-eyed Susans, coneflowers, daylilies, lavender, and hollyhocks all share similar sunlight and soil needs.
2. Is Shasta daisy a common English Daisy?
No, Shasta daisies (Leucanthemum x superbum) are taller and have larger flowers than English daisies (Bellis perennis).
3. Do Shasta daisies spread?
Yes, they naturalize easily and may take over a garden bed if not well-managed.
4. Do Shasta daisies attract butterflies?
Yes, their nectar-rich blooms attract both butterflies and bees.
5. Why are my Shasta daisies falling over?
Tall varieties may need staking and protection from strong winds to prevent floppy stems.
6. What is the meaning of Shasta daisies?
Shasta daisies are often associated with innocence, purity, and hope, thanks to their white petals and cheerful yellow centers.
7. Are Shasta daisies good as cut flowers?
Yes, they make excellent cut flowers, which can last up to a week in a vase.
8. Are Shasta daisies deer-resistant?
While no plant is completely safe from deer, Shasta daisies are considered deer-resistant because they have a bitter taste.
9. Why is it called Shasta daisy?
It’s named after Mount Shasta, a snowcapped mountain in Northern California.
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🌼 Add a pop of sunshine to your garden with Shasta daisies. Head to The Gardening Cook for tips on planting, watering, pruning & propagating. 🌱💧✂️☀️#GardeningTips #Perennials #GardenFlowers #FlowerCare #Leucanthemum #ShastaDaisy Share on XPin this Shasta daisy care guide
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Admin note: This article about how to care for Shasta daisies first appeared on the blog in June 2018. This post has been updated to add all new photos, a free Shasta daisy care printable, and a slideshow video.
Shasta Daisy Care Guide
Find out how to grow healthy Shasta daisies with the right sun, soil, watering, pruning, and winter care techniques. These easy perennials reward gardeners with bright summer blooms and reliable performance year after year.
Print out the Shasta daisy plant care instructions and the free printable to save for future reference.
Materials
- Shasta daisy plant
- Organic matter or compost
- Mulch
Tools
- Hose or watering can
Instructions
- Dig holes for Shasta daisy plants 1-2 feet (30-60 cm) apart, or scatter seeds and rake them into the soil.
- The soil needs to be well-draining and fertile.
- Prepare the soil by adding compost or other organic matter.
- Choose a spot that gets 6+ hours of sunlight each day.
- Water well to get the plant established, and then it is quite drought-tolerant.
- Mulch the soil so that you don't have to water as often.
- The plant is cold-hardy in zones 5-9.
- Propagate by division in spring or fall. You can also propagate with stem cuttings.
- It flowers from early summer to early autumn.
- Protect tall plants from high winds.
- Deadhead often for more blooms.
Notes
You can use this link to print out the growing tips for Shasta daisies, as a high-resolution image using the print feature in your browser window.
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My Shasta’s have not bloomed yet. The lower leaves are brown and falling off. Do you know what I am doing wrong. This is their 3rd year.
There are several reasons why Shasta daisies won’t bloom. (not being divided, not deadheading past flowers, too much fertilizer etc) None of these seem to be the fault. Shasta daisies like lots of sun and will get leggy and not bloom without it. This doesn’t sound like yours either.
The only other thing I can think of is the heat. If it is VERY hot, they won’t bloom until the weather moderates. Too much water could also be a problem that would cause lack of flowers.
Carol
Can I sow the shasta seeds now in Az?.
You can sow Shasta daisy seeds any time throughout the summer but it is suggested to get them in the ground about 2 months fore the first predicted frost.
My Shasta’s are very invasive.
If I spray to kill will it kill the rhizomes too which is what I want to do.
Digging up the plant is the best way to get rid of an invasive plant.
My Shasta daisies are huge and the branches get heavy in late summer and droop. Trying to find a good support from underneath. Any suggestions?
Planting lower growing shrubs near the Shasta daisies might be a way to keep them from flopping over. They have so many flower stems that normal supports aren’t really an option.
I have these planted in a small bed outside my front porch. They have filled in nicely over a couple years and are starting a lovely bloom cycle. The get pretty harsh afternoon sun in the summer and look a bit wilted during midday, I deadhead regularly and cut flowers for indoors. Love them– something my mom and grandma always grew!
They are one of my favorite flowers too Carolyn. Thanks for the comment.
Do i cut the plant back in the fall
Some people do it in the fall and others in the spring. It depends on whether you want to leave seed heads for wildlife.
My daises haven’t even appeared yet!!! Do you think they are going to? I live in upstate New York….
I’m not personally familiar with upstate New York Weather, but I was born in Maine and many perennials didn’t show until later when the weather has been cold. Sometimes the winter can kill perennials. Shasta Daisy is cold hardy in zones 5-8. What is your zone? If it’s colder than zone 5, it may not come back at all.
My Shasta Daisies look as if there dying . I planted them in a good soil and added Potting soil with Miracle Grown . Watering everyday!! No rain , temps high 80’s – 90 ‘s . Morning and evening. Petals falling off only yellow center in place . Petals changed from a pure white to a grayish white . Help Please !!
It is impossible to diagnose plant problems without seeing the plant. To me, it sounds like too much sunlight or heat too high. Shasta daisies can sometimes suffer in the heat.
We have lovely Shastas that have been growing in our garden for five or six years. We have divided and thinned them out but our problem is yellowing lower leaves. I wonder if it is slugs that cause those leaves to yellow. They get very little supplemental water in Salem Oregon and are in full sun. I really dislike the yellowing of the lower leaves and continually pull them off as they turn yellow. If I don’t they just dry up. (We have added compost each year. Is it perhaps too rich?) Thanks for any help on this.
We have lovely Shastas that have been growing in our garden for five or six years. We have divided and thinned them out but our problem is yellowing lower leaves. I wonder if it is slugs that cause those leaves to yellow. They get very little supplemental water in Salem Oregon and are in full sun. I really dislike the yellowing of the lower leaves and continually pull them off as they turn yellow. If I don’t they just dry up. (We have added compost each year. Is it perhaps too rich?) Thanks for any help on this.
You have such a lovely sweet spirit – I can see from your photo!
Hi Arlene. It’s most likely lack of water that is doing it since they are in full sun. I have the same thing happen here in NC. It’s just part of the maintenance. Carol
Thanks for the nice comment. I like to think my spirit is sweet!
I didn’t realize daisies propagated so quickly !! Now I wish I hadn’t planted them along my house west wall right up to the cinder block foundation ! They are tall, full & beautiful but taking over the area. My plan is to rip 3/4’s out after they bloom as they have blooms set now. I’m wondering if their roots have damaged the cinder blocks !
It is possible for some type of plants to have roots that can damage cinder blocks and other foundation types, but in my experience, this is more likely to be tree roots than perennials. However, the only way to know is to have a look when you dig up the plants.
Shasta I planted last year started coming back this year with leaves but then stopped growing. Leaves are still green but only 6-8 inches above ground and no sign of flowers. I live in Rhode Island.
You might try stepping up the water and perhaps adding some fertilizer or compost. My shasta daisies slow down when it gets really hot.
I really wish I could find the margarite double petal pom-pom pink Daisy I grew 30 years ago but have not seen it around. Today I bought a Shasta Daisy that’s got a double petal rim that reminds me of it a little.
It seems that some of the more unusual plants are only available at online nurseries now, and even then, they can be sold out of desirable plants.
Is it OK to divide and replant Shasta daisies AFTER the first frost? We live at 6500′ and have already have a few frosts, but the ground is still soft & workable.
I would leave dividing until spring if you already have had frost. The plants need time to recover after division and would suffer with more frosts.
My Shasta daisy is full of blooms right now & ready to open up, but once their open I get some kind of insect that attacks the yellow center part of the flowers,, what can I put to prevent this. THXS for your HELP!!
Hi Gloria. it’s hard to say what the problem is without seeing the bug in action so it can be identified. Aphids and earwigs are a common pest for Shasta Daisies but I cannot tell you what to use to get rid of a pest without knowing what the pest is.
@Carol Speake,
Hi, I just read your post and have had the same problem. Go out to the daises at night when it is dark out and use a flashlight to check the center of the daisy for earwigs. I had one on each of my daisies and used essential oil to spray them off without damaging the flower. I also used a stick to shake some off. The problem is that you have to keep checking nightly and spraying since they do not like the scent of the spray.
My shasta daisies are very hardy. But they are too tall. Can I cut them back before bloom starts so they will be shorter?
Cutting them back will make them bushier and shorter plants but you will sacrifice the first round of flowers if you do.
I live in the south of England and love my Shasta daisies. one clump has now become 5 along my beds! Mine start flowering very early, mid March, and are now nearly over in June. They are very tall, getting on for 3’. If I cut them down now will I get another flowering, and next year should I do an early chop on them to stop them getting so tall? They do suffer from wind damage because of their height.
Hi Jill. I am not sure about the UK, but here in NC (southeastern USA) once it gets hot, I have no luck getting reblooms even with deadheading. Supposedly though, deadheading inhibits seed production and encourages regrowth and rebloom.
I was wondering why my Shasta daisy only blooms once a season, and the answer appears in your comments to other gardeners: it just gets too hot after the first bloom-out in mid June. I live in Colorado at 5,000 feet and July and August can be brutal. I’m very diligent with watering and deadheading, so it must be the high heat. Regardless, I get a beautiful flush of blooms right about now, then the plant is just a green mound in my garden. We’ve already had some unseasonably warm days in early June, 90+, but the buds are about to open. Thanks for your expertise!
Hi! How/when do I cut/gather Shasta daisies as indoor flowers for a vase. I cut some that had leaned over and brought them in, just a little water and they are all drooping their heads! 😔
Hi Liga. Shasta daisies can last several days indoors. Cut the flowers in the morning when the plant is cool and well hydrated. Remove the lower leaves on the stem and place in cool water immediately. Replace the water every few days.
Can I plant the dead heads to start new plants? When should they be planted? Thank you.
No. They are dead at this point.
Good afternoon! I noticed the petals of my daisies are slowly being eaten. First it was the leaves now the petals. Can you help me?
There is no way of knowing what is eating the plant unless you see the bug in pereson.
I was able to take a photograph of these nasty little bugs. They appear to be baby earwigs. What to you suggest I do to get rid of them? I have never had this problem before.
I am sorry but I cannot give recommendations for treatment of insects on specific plants in your yard without seeing the plants in person.
Love my Alaska Shasta Daisies!!! They are out of this world! For the second year they have grown over four feet tall! They are amazing! People who see them are amazed!! I love them every year and try to keep them healthy by dead heading and cutting back in the winter here in southern California. They are over growing their boundaries after 2 years, very tightly packed and bulging at them seams! Love them!!!
So I am wondering…. should i just clip them back for winter, or can I safe some of the roots, pull them out to give away that will grow successively? The area definitely needs to be given some room, roots eliminated so that it can have room to move and grow! Is that possible or do I just need to start anew?
If the plant is getting crowded, you can remove some of them by digging them up and dividing. I would be careful of just pulling them up since this could really disturb the roots. You can also cut them back. But it sounds like division is in order.
Hi Carol, my Shasta Daisies have been selfsowing
(Middle france) since I didn’t deadhead the last lot of flowes (bad girl😢) now the little plants come up in the (spacious new) flowerbed.. do they stand a chance? We sometimes get short periods of light frost..
It’s hard to say. Normally self sown flowers are a bit more hardy. Shasta is only cold hardy in zone 5-8.
I live in South east Texas, Houston area. I plant Shasta daisies from seed. They grow well until August, and then die. Can someone give me helpful hints. I fertilize and water.
@Alma McAfee, Their season is over, but will bloom again next spring
How do I get the grass that’s growing in my Shasta daisies out of there?
The only way that I know of to get out weeds that are connected to thye root ball is to dig up the plant and gently pry the roots apart and take out the weeds and replant.
Hi Carol
After dead heading, I clipped the heads off. Are the seeds in the heads good for Planting?
Please advise.
Place the Shasta daisy seeds into a paper envelope. Store in a cool, dry location out of direct light until planting time. Shasta daisy seeds can be sown in early winter through late spring.
My Shasta daisys look beautiful but now some of the outer stems are laying towards the ground. What is wrong?
Are they the stems that have flowered? It’s normal for those to lay down when the blooms are done.
My Shasta looks dead
There is no leaves no flowers nothing is blooming I think it got root rotted
Great Article! Thank you! Do you think zone 9B in Florida may be too hot to grow Shasta daisies? I have germinated the Alaska variety
HI Corey. In my experience, even here in zone 7b in North Carolina, the Shasta daisy does best before it gets too hot. I would think Florida temps would be too much for the plant to deal with for most of the year. Zone 5 to 8 is the recommended range.