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Daisy Facts

Daisy Facts
Daisy is a flowering plant that belongs to the family Asteraceae. This plant is closely related to artichoke and arnica. There are around 4000 species of daisies that differ in size, shape, color and type of habitat. Daisy can be found on all continents except Antarctica. It usually inhabits grasslands, meadows, gardens, urban areas and areas near the roadsides. It can survive in both dry and wet habitats, but it prefers well-drained soils and a lot of direct sun. People cultivate daisies because of their simple but very attractive flowers. Unlike cultivated types of daisies, wild types easily reproduce and conquer new habitats. They are often resistant to pesticides and insects. Because of that, wild daisies occasionally act like weed that cannot be eradicated easily.
Interesting Daisy Facts:
Daisy is herbaceous plant that can grow from 3 inches to 4 feet in height, depending on the species.
Daisy has green leaves that form rosette at the base of the stem. They can be smooth or covered with hairs on the surface. Leaves of most species of daisy are divided in several lobes and have narrow base.
Daisy is attached to the ground via rhizome.
Daisy has composite flower that consists of large number of small flowers, called florets. Ray florets form outer part of the flower and they look like typical petals. Disk florets are located at the center of the flower; they are small and have tubular shape.
Color of the flower depends on the species. Daisy can be white with yellow center, purple with brownish center, red with yellow center, yellow with dark red center…
Daisy blooms during the summer. Bees are the main pollinators of daisies.
Daisy can propagate via seed (at the beginning of the autumn) or by division after flowering (during the spring).
The most popular types of daisies are Marguerite daisy, Gloriosa daisy, Shasta daisies, African daisy and Gerber daisy.
Name "daisy" originates from Anglo Saxon word "daes eage" which means "day's eyes". Daisy opens the flower at dawn and closes it at night (hence the name).
Daisy is rich source of vitamin C. It has pleasant taste and it can be used as a part of salads, soups and sandwiches. Both flowers and leaves are edible.
Juice extracted from daisies was used for wound healing in ancient Rome.
Daisy is used in homeopathy to accelerate healing after surgical procedures and to alleviate back ache. It is also used to treat injuries in animals.
Daisy is used in folk medicine (usually in the form of tea) to relieve cough, to improve digestion and to slow bleeding.
Daisy is a symbol of purity and innocence.
Daisy is biennial plant which means that its life cycle ends after two years.


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