Daisies are a delight for their bright, cheerful appearance, and like many other gardeners, you may have chosen to grow them in your garden. But did you know not everything that looks like a daisy belongs in your flower bed?
There are numerous common weeds that mimic the daisy’s classic white petals and yellow centers, making them easy to overlook until they begin to spread.
If you are looking to maintain a pristine garden or yard, it’s important to know how to identify these daisy look-alikes.
In this article, we’ll explore a list of weeds that look like daisies, how to tell them apart from true daisies, and tips on controlling them.
What is A True Daisy?
The term “daisy” often refers to the English Daisy (Bellis perennis). However, there are other true daisies such as the Oxeye Daisy.
True daisies typically have:
- A yellow central disk
- White ray petals
- Spoon-shaped, smooth leaves near the base
- A tidy, symmetrical flower head
- A height of 4–24 inches depending on the variety
Here is a list of weeds that look like daisies.
1. Oxeye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare)
- Local Name: Marguerite
- Family: Asteraceae
- Annual or Perennial: Perennial
Oxeye Daisy is a true daisy that grows 1-3 ft tall. It shares several characteristics with the English daisy, including the nearly identical flower structure – white petals and a yellow center.
However, it has narrow, toothed leaves, unlike the smooth leaves of ornamental daisies.
It is a favorite plant in garden beds and nurseries, but it is also considered an invasive weed in unwanted areas due to its aggressive growth by seeds and rhizomes.
It is native to:
- Europe
- Asia
Removal Methods
- Mechanical control: Digging, cutting, or hoeing is effective for small infestations. Cut the plants before they seed before mowing, and this should be repeated as necessary for effective control.
- Cultural control: Growing desired plants to increase competitiveness will help discourage oxeye daisy growth.
- Chemical control: Consider applying herbicides like picloram, metsulfuron, aminopyralid, or dicamba alone or in combination with 2,4-D for effective control.
2. False Daisy (Eclipta prostrata)
- Local Name: Eclipta, Pie Plant
- Family: Asteraceae
- Annual or Perennial: Annual or short-lived perennial
False Daisy is an annual or short-lived perennial about 3ft tall. It’s primarily known for its medicinal properties and grows in a sprawling manner along river banks, swamps, and wetland habitats.
This plant has small white ray florets that can resemble tiny daisies. They are, however, smaller compared to the button-shaped daisy flowers.
It is native to:
- Asia
- Brazil
- North America
Removal Methods
- Mechanical control: Hand-pulling is only feasible when the plants are small due to its extensive root system. Hoeing and tilling can help control the emerging plants but may not prevent new germination.
- Chemical control: Apply preemergence herbicides such as flumioxazin, isoxaben, and indaziflam. For already established weeds, apply postemergence herbicides like glyphosate, pelargonic acid, or diquat directly on the plants.
3. Scentless Mayweed (Tripleurospermum inodorum)
- Local Name: Scentless Chamomile, Scentless False Mayweed, Baldr’s Brow
- Family: Asteraceae
- Annual or Perennial: Annual or Short-lived Perennial
Scentless Mayweed is an annual or short-lived perennial weed that grows about 2-3 ft in height. It is commonly found in gardens, fields, roadsides, and disturbed areas.
This plant has white petals and a yellow center similar to the common daisy. That said, it’s taller, has fine feathery leaves, and lacks the typical daisy fragrance.
It is native to:
- Europe
- Asia
Removal Methods
- Mechanical Control: Hand-pulling is viable for small infestations while mowing to ground level can help reduce flowering but is not feasible for complete eradication.
- Cultural control: Planting desirable plants at the highest practical density can help crowd out the weeds.
- Chemical control: Repeated applications of herbicides containing clopyralid, metsulfuron, imazapic, glyphosate, and aminopyralid. Some herbicide resistance has been reported, especially where continuous monitoring is not thoroughly conducted.
4. Daisy Fleabane (Erigeron annuus)
- Local Name: Common Fleabane, Annual Fleabane, Eastern Daisy Fleabane
- Family: Asteraceae
- Annual or Perennial: Annual
Daisy fleabane is an annual herbaceous weed 1-5 feet tall. It colonizes areas such as roadsides, vacant lots, waste areas, abandoned fields, and pastures.
Fleabane closely resembles a small daisy, with numerous thin, white petals and a yellow central disc. However, the petals are much finer—almost thread-like and the plants have a more bushy and weedy appearance.
It is native to:
- North America
- Central America
Removal Methods
- Mechanical control: Mowing and tillage in early spring or fall will help reduce seed dispersion.
- Cultural control: Grow and maintain a dense population of desired plants to discourage fleabane growth.
- Chemical control: Apply herbicides containing 2,4-D, MCPA, and dicamba on actively growing plants for the best results.
5. Shasta Daisy (Leucanthemum x superbum)
- Local Name: Shasta Daisy
- Family: Asteraceae
- Annual or Perennial: Perennial
Often grown as an ornamental, the Shasta Daisy is a perennial plant originating from several cultivars of daisies.
Therefore, it has the classic appearance of the common daisy with white petals and a yellow disk although more pronounced.
It is native to:
Since it is a hybrid plant from a variety of daisy species, it is not native to any specific location.
Removal Methods
Mechanical control: Hand-pulling or digging are the most effective ways to remove unwanted plants.
6. Mayweed Chamomile (Anthemis cotula)
- Local Name: Stinking Chamomile, Mayweed
- Family: Asteraceae
- Annual or Perennial: Annual
The Mayweed chamomile is an annual flowering herb about 2 ft tall known for its strong pungent odor.
It also mimics the appearance of the common daisy with white petals and a yellow center, though it often has a less organized form.
It is native to:
- Europe
Removal Methods
- Mechanical control: Hand-pulling or digging before seeding is a viable control method for small infestations.
- Cultural control: Rotational grazing to help improve the competitiveness of desirable grasses can discourage mayweed growth.
- Chemical control: Effective control depends on the area of infestation. However, common herbicides like dicamba and MCPA can be used in wheat and barley fields and glyphosate and paraquat in turfgrass.
7. Annual Daisy (Bellis annua)
- Local Name: Annual Daisy
- Family: Asteraceae
- Annual or Perennial: Annual
The Annual Daisy is much smaller than typical garden daisies, growing 10 cm long. It also has small daisy-like flowers with white petals and a yellow center.
However, unlike the vibrant erect daisies, Bellis annua grows almost flat on the ground and thrives in short grassy areas.
It is native to:
- Mediterranean
Removal Methods
- Mechanical control: Pull or dig out the plants, ensuring the entire root systems are discarded for effective control.
- Chemical control: Repeated applications of herbicide products containing dicamba can help eradicate the weeds in non-turf areas.
Lead Editor for Insight Weeds.