A Few Wild Daisies

When I think of a daisy – I think of a flower with white petals with a yellow center – definitely a member of the aster family. Over the years I’ve discovered that many other types of similar looking flowers are called daisies – they’re not all white with yellow centers. I have photographed a few sets of wildflowers that do fit the traditional definition of a daisy – so here they are.

Ox-Eye Daisies – leucanthemun vulgare – can be found in every state in the United States and most of the Canadian provinces. Originally native to Europe and Asia, it has been introduced to North America, Australia and New Zealand. In several states it is listed as a noxious weed. So when you see wild daisies in a field – they may well be Ox-Eye Daisies – which aren’t native to the United States.

Daisy Fleabane - Erigeron philadelphicus – is native to most of the United States except Arizona and Utah. The delicate white and yellow flowers are under an inch in diameter. At times, the petals can be found in shades of light pink, in addition to white

Clasping-Leaf Doll’s daisy – boltonia decurrens – has a limited native range. It mainly can be found in Iowa, and in a few counties in Illinois and Missouri. Native to floodplains, the range of the Clasping Leaf Doll’s Daisy has shrunk over the years as efforts have been made to control flooding on rivers and streams.