Oxeye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) has many different names, such as Big Daisy, Dog Daisy, Espibawn, Horse Daisy, Herb Margaret,
Love-me, Midsummer Daisy, Maudlinwort, Moon Daisy/flower, Pretty Maids, White Cap and White man’s Weed , just to name a few.
Oxeye Daisy is a typical grassland plant, it flowers from July through until September. The colour of the petals are so bright that is appears to “Glow” during dusk and evening, this is how it got the name “Moon Daisy / Flower” or even “Moonpenny”.
Oxeye Daisy is easy to identify with its Daisy like flower, although it is not just one flower, it is a cluster of tiny flowers which make up the yellow center, which is then surrounded by the white petals. The large flower appears at the top of a single stem that can reach up to 60 cm in height. The leaves are often spoon shaped at the base of the tall stem with jagged edges and long stalked leaves up the stem.
As this plant is depenant on its seeds to reproduce, it does require open space to be successfull. It requires a site where it is potentially the more dominant speciece, or the surrounding plants are managed either by cutting, mowing or grazing. The seeds themselves are not limited to a certain time of year to germinate, they can begin to grow either in the autumn or spring but can also be dormant in the soil for many years waiting for the correct conditions to thrive.
The open flower heads of Ox-eye daisy attract a large range of pollinating insects particularly bees, butterflies and hoverflies.
Height: Up to 60cm
Flowering Time: May to September
Preferred Conditions: This flower grows well in drained and neutral based rich soils but will not grow in over wet sites.
