Ox-eye daisy, though familiar, is not native to North America. It was introduced long ago from Eurasia. Common in grassy uplands, pastures, fencerows, and roadsides, it can colonize aggressively in the garden.
Ox-eye daisy is a perennial herb, growing from rhizomes, unbranched or with few branches. It provides spectacular displays in summer along roadsides.
The flowerheads are solitary at the stem tips, large, to 2 inches across, with 15–35 white ray florets and a yellow disk with numerous small florets.
Blooms May–August.
The basal leaves are on petioles (leaf stalks), spoon-shaped, and lobed. The upper leaves are sessile (stalkless), with blunt, toothlike lobes.
Similar species: Ox-eye daisy is so widespread and common, it is an easy plant to learn to identify.
- The most similar plants are ones that do not escape from cultivation, such as the familiar garden flower called Shasta daisy, Leucanthemum × superbum.
- No members of genus Leucanthemum are native to the New World.
Height: stems to 3 feet.
Statewide.
Habitat and Conservation
Occurs in upland prairies, glades, bluff tops, savannas, openings of moist to dry upland woodlands; also in pastures, old fields, fallow fields, fencerows, railroads, roadsides and other open, disturbed areas.
This plant is not native to North America; it was introduced long ago from Eurasia. Although it is a beautiful wildflower, land managers in many states, particularly in the East and Midwest, consider it a problem nonnative invasive species.
When upland prairies are hayed annually, ox-eye daisy seems to increase in abundance. Frequent prescribed burns tend to decrease its populations.
Status
Nonnative, introduced wildflower. An aggressive colonizer that is difficult to control in gardens and readily escapes from cultivation. Considered a problem invasive species in several states, especially in the East and Midwest.
Human Connections
In the garden, ox-eye daisy can be an aggressive colonizer that escapes readily. Relatives of this species include hybrids developed for garden use. One of these is the popular Shasta daisy, a hybrid created from other species of Leucanthemum.
Cattle avoid eating ox-eye daisy, which gives the species an edge over plants that they eat. New plants can grow from fragments of rhizomes. Over time, the daisies increase in pastures.
"Fresh as a daisy" is a well-known cliché, and this species is the most widespread daisy most Missourians have seen.
An American brand of margarine once used ox-eye daisies on its label and other advertising, with the slogan "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature." The implication was that the water-in-oil emulsion could not be distinguished from naturally produced butter . . . but how many Americans know that ox-eye daisy does not naturally occur on our continent?
Ecosystem Connections
Many plants have been introduced to North America from Eurasia besides this one. Others include common dandelion, shepherd's purse, salsify, orange daylily, and henbit. Many of these plants have been in America so long we can hardly imagine our landscapes without them.
Ox-eye daisy has been introduced globally and in many places is considered a noxious weed or invasive species. It can displace native plants and degrade native plant communities.
