The humble daisy is April’s flower of the month, and what better time than now to appreciate the simple bloom. Although it’s not the most ornate flower, it is elegant in its simplicity, and a beautiful way to add brightness to a bouquet. Although “daisy” includes a variety of flowers, in a variety of colours, the name does immediately call to mind the classic white flower with a yellow eye.
Let’s explore a little about the cheerful, innocent and perennially popular daisy.
It comes from a huge family
The daisy belongs to the Asteraceae family, which is the largest family of flowering plants. There are over 23,000 species of daisies.
They have ancient roots
The daisy has a cultivation history going back to about 2,200 BC. Daisies were grown in Egypt around the temples as a kind of medicine at the time. Daisies are thought to slow bleeding, relieve coughs, and indigestion.
They are edible
Speaking of indigestion, did you know that you can eat daisies? The plant is closely related to the artichoke, and the leaves are high in vitamin C. If you ever want to make your salad look a little more interesting, or create a beautiful and edible cake decoration, the daisy is a great option.
They are abundant
Daisies are easy to grow and can be found on every single continent except Antarctica. In fact, they are so abundant that they make up almost 10% of all flowering plants on earth. They thrive in almost any condition, climate, and can be easily found on a mountain or a field.
Bees love them
While it might seem like bees would like most flowers, they are especially attracted to the Shasta daisy. The main attraction is the bright yellow center, which acts as a roomy landing pad for the bee to do its important work. That center is made up of hundreds of smaller flowers, so a bee can score big with daisies.
They are in the record books
One of the weirder facts about daisies is that they are involved in a world record. You know the game, “He loves me, he loves me not,” where you pluck petals from a daisy to discover the fate of a relationship? The largest game on record involved 331 Milanese people (and a lot of daisies!).
I hope you enjoyed learning about daisies. If you have an interesting fact to share, let me know! I’d love to hear from you.