Shortstop Shasta Daisy

The Shortstop Shasta Daisy really does live up to its name – it is low-growing and a great perennial plant to grow anywhere in your garden for early summer beauty – a stopgap between spring and later summer blooms. It forms a low, dense mat of glossy green leaves and sends up an abundance of gorgeous white daisies. They have many petals, almost like a double flower, but the crisp yellow disc in the center still shows. They are large, 3 inches across, and produced in amazing abundance – you can expect close to 200 flower stems in a season from an established plant. Each flower stem can have up to 4 blooms on it, so don’t trim them until you are sure all the buds have opened. This is a terrific perennial for filling spaces, and blooms profusely in June, with more flowers continuing through July and August. Grow it among other perennials, in a rock garden or on a slope, beside a path, in a cutting garden, or in pots and planters to decorate your terrace, patio or balcony. Nothing beats the classic white daisy, and few can beat the Shortstop Shasta Daisy.

• Abundant large daisy flowers, with many white petals around a yellow disc
• Attractive mat of bright green leaves up to 2 feet across
• Compact flower stems just 1 foot tall, perfect for edging, and weather resistant
• Reliable, easy plant for edging beds, rock gardens and among perennial flowers
• Grows well in pots and planter boxes

Grow your Shortstop Shasta Daisy in full sun, or with a little afternoon shade if you are in a hotter zone. It will grow best in rich, well-drained soil, and needs plenty of water to do well – use mulch over the roots in warmer zones or drier soils. On the other hand, avoid areas that are wet in winter, as this encourages decay. In pots use a regular potting soil and feed with liquid fertilizer for flowering plants (or for tomatoes). In colder zones bury pots in the ground, repotting in fresh earth in spring. Remove dead flower stems as needed, and only remove yellow leaves and old stems – don’t cut back the new green growth that will usually appear in fall. Although possibly eaten by deer and rabbits, it doesn’t have any significant pests or diseases, and is generally very easy to succeed with – everything’s coming up daisies!