Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Share

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
Not Yet Rated

Sunday - September 16, 2007

From: Kettle Falls, WA
Region: Northwest
Topic: Propagation
Title: Encouraging Daisies to Reappear
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

Having moved into our home in the early spring of the year we hadn't seen any of the flowering plants around the place until we were living here and we were not given any info on care for them. So we were pleasantly surprised to find Irises, tulips, poppies, Johnny jump ups, and daisies coming up in various places. I didn't pay much mind to the daisies, knowing they were an 'easy care' plant. The clump of tall stems with large white flowers had been nearly two feet in diameter and bloomed profusely for two years in a row. I had noticed they were a bit crowded and had plans to separate the plants when I could see them again this spring. But I was disappointed-- they never showed up. There is not even any green in the area. Must I replant? Or is there some other way I can encourage them to 'resurrect' next spring? If I replant, when is the best time to separate the plants when crowding occurs?

ANSWER:

Sounds like you were very fortunate in that the previous owner of your property was a gardener. As there are literally dozens of flowers with "daisy" in their common names, we first tried to establish what your missing plant was. Since at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center we specialize in the preservation and propagation of plants native to North America, we started with our Native Plant Database. We found Erigeron annuus (eastern daisy fleabane) and Layia glandulosa (whitedaisy tidytips), pictures below, that seemed to come close to your description. Both are found in Washington State but, alas, both are annuals. Both do reseed, and the lack of return this year could be due to hungry birds getting to the seed before it could germinate, too much water, too little water, or a too-eager gardener pulling up in early Spring what was thought to be a weed.

We then went looking for a likely possibility in non-natives. Chrysanthemum maximum, commonly called the Shasta daisy, seems the best candidate. They are perennials and have widely naturalized in North America but are natives of Europe. Why did they disappear? Kind of a mystery, but again, it could have been water standing in the bed, which would have caused the roots to rot. Some perennials are referred to as short-lived perennials, which means they only survive a few years before they disappear, and since they were already there when you moved in, there is no way of knowing how long they had already lived. And can they be resurrected? Sorry, it would have prevented a lot of grief and mourning in our own gardens if such a thing were possible. If you decide to replant, the best time to plant as well as to divide depends on the climate in which you live. In Texas, we prefer to do both in the Fall, when the weather cools off (a little) and we can usually expect more rain. If you are in the more temperate climate of Washington, near the coast, you can probably do the same. However, if your average low temperature is 20 deg or below, you would probably be better off waiting for the soil and air to warm up in the Spring. Planting in the Fall means the roots can get established before the blazing heat of Summer. Planting in the Spring means the new plants don't have to withstand low temperatures before they get established.


Erigeron annuus

Layia glandulosa

 

 

 

More Propagation Questions

Transplanting trilliums in dormancy in Michigan
February 15, 2006 - I live in Michigan. I have a Trillium in my yard and we are having a new septic field put in. I need to know if I can save the whole plant and can I keep it in the house or do I just need the bulb a...
view the full question and answer

Pollinator to Arkansas yucca from Arlington TX
May 15, 2012 - Thank you Barbara for your answer. However, my Arkansas yuccas bloom every year, but do not set seed. I am asking for the name of the moth that pollinates them, or other native plants that serve as ...
view the full question and answer

Problems with Shumard oak in San Antonio
May 18, 2010 - Hello. I live in San Antonio and Have a question about a Shumard Red Oak. It's growing at an average pace, seems a little more vigorous this year. It's a nice tree with great fall colors. HOWEVER, w...
view the full question and answer

Determining ripeness of seeds of Crotonn texensis
May 01, 2007 - How can I tell when the seeds of Croton texensis are "ripe"?
view the full question and answer

Propagation of century plants from "pups"
August 10, 2007 - I have two small century plants...about 10 inches tall...they are "pups" from an older one. one of them has three or four very small roots and the other looks like it was pulled up out of the ground...
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.