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English Daisy
Bellis perennis
Also comes in white and red.
English Daisy blooms from April through June.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing English Daisy
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 4–8. Expect it to reach about 6 in tall and 6 in wide at maturity, in roughly 2 years (not yet checked).
What this means
Written with AI assistance and not yet checked plant by plant against recorded sources, so treat every fact above as a starting point. Its scientific name was checked against botanical registries, an audit keeps its values consistent with the rest of the library, and a July 2026 review re-read the main facts of every plant then in the library against horticultural authorities without recording a source for each, which is why none of that counts as checked here. The source-by-source check is working through the whole library in the open, and a checked plant says so in this row.
When to plant English Daisy
Plant English Daisy in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. In zone 6, the middle of its hardy zones 4 to 8, spring means March to May and fall means August or September. Once settled, it blooms from April to June.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 6, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 6 in March. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does English Daisy get?
6 intall5 ft 7 inan adult6 inwideSee English Daisy in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant English Daisy
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space English Daisy about 6 in apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add English Daisy to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Good to know about English Daisy
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
Safety
Low risk: not on ASPCA's toxic-to-dogs list. Eating a lot can cause mild GI upset; handling can cause contact dermatitis in sensitive people. per NC State and ASPCA
Worth knowing
One thing, its hatred of summer heat, drives everything: it ends the spring bloom, makes the plant short-lived, and lets it self-seed only where summers stay cool. per NC State
Not the toxic 'daisy'
ASPCA's toxic 'Daisy' is actually Chrysanthemum, a different plant. True English daisy (Bellis perennis) is the low-risk one, so do not mix up the two. per ASPCA and NC State
Self-seeds; deadhead to control
It self-seeds heavily into lawns, where it becomes a turf weed in cool, moist regions. Deadhead spent flowers before seed ripens to curb the spread. per NC State and Penn State
Edible in small amounts
The flowers (mildly bitter) and young leaves have long been eaten in small amounts, raw in salads or cooked in soups and teas. per NC State
Deer resistant
Listed as particularly resistant to deer. per NC State
Nectar for pollinators
The open composite flower heads offer nectar to butterflies and other pollinators, a modest generalist forage source rather than a top-tier pollinator magnet. per NC State
What pairs well with English Daisy
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Sneezeweed
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; stands well above at 3.5 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Joe Pye Weed
Shares full sun and moderate to high water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; stands well above at 6 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
False Sunflower
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; stands well above at 4 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Sunflower
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; stands well above at 6.5 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Love-Lies-Bleeding
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; stands well above at 3.5 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Cleome
Shares full sun and moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into early fall; stands well above at 4 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; both offer pollinator forage.
Winterberry
Shares full sun and moderate to high water; blooms in mid fall, extending the bed's season; stands well above at 6.5 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Feather Reed Grass
Shares full sun and moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into late summer; stands well above at 5 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
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Design a garden with this
Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.