Ox-Eye Daisy Makes a Great Cutflower

This Gorgeous Wildflower Could Grow out of Control...But it Makes a Nice Cut Flower!

Let me first start by saying that ox-eye daisy, or Leucanthemum vulgare, may very well be considered a noxious weed in your growing area. As a naturalized exotic, this lovely daisy can make quite a nuisance of itself -choking out other plants and natives - spreading by seeds and rhizomes. That said, they do make a lovely sight in large stands when in bloom.

I happen to have inherited large swaths of ox-eye daisy in open grassy areas on my Oregon property, as well as many other individual plants popping up all around the property. This species can be found growing in a variety of environments from grasslands, to riverbanks, open forest areas, roadsides and many other disturbed areas. It's pretty versatile if there is some sunlight.

Unfortunately this lovely daisy is considered ecologically harmful and "under management" in my county here in Oregon, and I'm going to need to work on reducing the population over time, which won't be terribly easy.

So for now I'm enjoying the blooms, but will be working to reduce and replace these plants with species that will provide better balance in the ecosystem of my natural areas.

I've already mowed quite bit down in areas covering my septic drain field. But for other areas that have other species I want to save or are hard to mow, one of my first-line strategies is harvesting the blooms for cut flowers as often as possible to reduce seed production. It just so happens these are excellent cut flowers with a very long vase life. Daisies are always a cheerful sight, so it's nice to have them around the house. Heck I probably have enough I should be selling cuts!