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Leucanthemum vulgare
Oxeye Daisy
Europe and temperate Asia; meadows, grasslands, and roadsides from sea level to approximately 7,000 feet (2,100 m).
Overview
Leucanthemum vulgare (synonym Chrysanthemum leucanthemum) is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial reaching 12-36 inches (30-90 cm) tall and 12-24 inches (30-60 cm) wide. Basal leaves are spatulate, 2-5 inches (5-13 cm) long, with crenate (rounded-toothed) margins on long petioles. Stem leaves are progressively smaller upward, oblong, sessile, clasping, with coarse irregular teeth. Stems are erect, usually unbranched, smooth to sparsely hairy. Flower heads are solitary at the stem tips, 1.5-2.5 inches (4-6 cm) in diameter, with 20-30 white ray florets surrounding a flat to slightly domed yellow disc. Each head produces 200-500 seeds that lack a pappus (so seeds fall near the parent plant rather than dispersing long distances on the wind). A single plant produces 1,300-4,000 seeds per year, and dense stands produce up to 26,000 seeds per square yard (31,000 per square meter). Plants spread by shallow creeping rhizomes and by seed, and rhizome fragments as small as 0.5 inch (1 cm) regenerate into new plants. The species is listed as a noxious weed in multiple western and midwestern U.S. states and in several Canadian provinces because dense colonies form in pastures, meadows, and roadsides, displacing native grasses and reducing forage quality. Hardy in USDA zones 3-9 (-40°F / -40°C). Non-toxic.
Native Range
Leucanthemum vulgare is native to Europe and temperate Asia, where it grows in meadows, grasslands, and roadsides from sea level to approximately 7,000 feet (2,100 m). The species was introduced to North America as an ornamental and through contaminated seed, and has naturalized across most of the United States and Canada. Several western and midwestern U.S. states and several Canadian provinces have listed the species as a noxious weed under agricultural regulations.Suggested Uses
The species is used in noxious weed identification training and rangeland management curricula, and the seed-bank-plus-rhizome combined spread pattern is a teaching example in invasion biology coursework. In its native European range, plants are a component of traditional hay meadow communities and the species is an important summer-flowering element of those grasslands. Flower heads are used in wildflower identification exercises for Asteraceae ray-and-disc floret morphology.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height1' - 3'
Width/Spread1' - 2'
Bloom Information
Solitary daisy heads 1.5-2.5 inches (4-6 cm) in diameter open from May through August, with peak bloom in June and July in temperate climates and a total bloom span of 4-6 weeks as flowering progresses from the primary terminal head to lateral branches. Individual heads remain open for 10-14 days. Pollination is by bees, flies, and beetles drawn to the white ray florets that serve as the visual attractant. Mowing delays but does not prevent flowering because plants reflower from lateral buds at shorter heights after cutting. In the Pacific Northwest, peak bloom occurs in June.Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
White ray florets with yellow disc; solitary daisy heads 1.5-2.5 inches (4-6 cm) in diameter with 20-30 white ray florets surrounding a flat to slightly domed yellow discFoliage Description
Dark green; basal leaves spatulate 2-5 inches (5-13 cm) long with crenate (rounded-toothed) margins on long petioles; stem leaves progressively smaller upward, oblong, sessile, clasping, with coarse irregular teethGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-10 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Listed as a noxious weed in several western and midwestern U.S. states and in several Canadian provinces; management focuses on reducing rhizome spread and seed production. Hand-pulling works in small infestations when all rhizome fragments are removed from the soil, since fragments left behind regenerate into new plants within 2-3 weeks. Mowing before seed maturity reduces seed production but does not eliminate rhizome-based lateral spread, and repeated mowing 3-4 times per season for 2-3 years weakens rhizomes in some populations. Dense stands in pastures reduce forage availability and cattle generally avoid the species because of the acrid taste of the foliage, which leaves the plant competitively advantaged in grazed paddocks. Revegetation with competitive perennial grasses after removal limits re-establishment from the residual soil seed bank.Pruning
No pruning is applicable in a horticultural sense. Cutting flowering stems to the basal rosette before seed set reduces seed dispersal. Plants resprout from rhizomes after cutting and may produce a second flowering flush on lateral branches. In managed meadow or pasture settings, mowing to 3-4 inches (8-10 cm) at the early bloom stage prevents seed maturation and reduces seed bank input.Pruning Schedule
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summer