Leucanthemum vulgare
A cheerful, sun‑loving perennial with bright white petals and golden centres that light up meadows and verges from early to late summer. Looks lovely paired with meadow cranesbill or musk mallow in a sunny, open patch.
🌿 Size: 12–24 inches tall
🌿 Spreading habit: Spreads by seed and short rhizomes; can form loose drifts if unmanaged
🌿 Sun needs: Full sun
🌿 Pet & Child friendliness: Safe* (However, ingestion can cause digestive upset and skin irritation, especially to cats.)
🌿 Pollen Level: Medium*
Care: Prefers well‑drained loam, chalk, or sandy soil but can go just about anywhere, and thrives in meadows, wildlife borders, and naturalistic plantings, can also do well in heavy clay especially if mildly improved. Water during its first year and in prolonged dry spells. Deadhead to prolong flowering or leave seedheads for birds. Thin clumps every few years to prevent overcrowding.
Fun Fact: Ox‑eye daisies close their flowers at night and reopen with the morning light, a behaviour known as nyctinasty.
*Individual sensitivities may vary. Please see our FAQ for more details.