May-Blooming Daisies

USDA Zone 3 and 4

• Even though the Swan River daisy (Brachyscome iberidifolia) comes from Australia, it handles cold climates, doing well where summers are cool. This annual daisy grows best in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones such as 3 and 4. Swan River daisies achieve 18 inches in height, generating flowers with dark centers ringed by rays of diverse colors such as violet, white and yellow. Another cool climate daisy for May blooms is May Queen, a form of the ox-eye daisy (Leucantheum vulgare). This perennial grows 24 inches tall, features white rays around a yellow center and blooms May through August.

USDA Zones 5 and 6

• The English daisy (Bellis perennis) serves as an annual in the northern states and a biennial in the Deep South, but in USDA zones 5 and 6 it serves as a perennial. Useful as ground cover, it grows to 6 inches, featuring white and yellow flowers. English daisy does not tolerate drought. The Shasta daisy (Leucanthemum x superbum) comes in a cultivar called White Knight, growing to 20 inches tall. The flowers, up to 4 inches wide, start blooming in May and last through August. White Knight is a staple of perennial borders.

USDA Zones 7 and 8

• Snow Lady is a compact cultivar of Shasta daisy for USDA zones 7 and 8. It is 12 inches tall, growing best in hot climates when afforded some afternoon shade. Snow Lady possesses large white rays surrounding a yellow center. The May through July flowers work well in the front of perennial borders, notes the Missouri Botanical Garden. Starburst is a much bigger Shasta daisy for these zones, growing to 48 inches, but with sturdy stems that often make staking the plant unnecessary. Starburst is an option for cut flower gardens, with its large flowerheads.

USDA Zone 9

• Use African daisies as an annual, even in a zone as warm as USDA zone 9. The flowers deteriorate quickly once the hot weather kicks in, but they are vibrant when they first appear in May. African daisies serve as container plants, since they are so susceptible to frosts. Protect the Northern Lights cultivar of the Shasta daisy with afternoon shade in zone 9. This daisy grows to 36 inches high and it features many flowers emerging from each stem.