If Bellis are listed in the planting plan, home gardeners wonder about the lifespan of the distinctive flowers. This guide explains clearly whether you can count on blooming daisies in beds and tubs for several years.
Daisies are biennial
Bellis perennis is characterized by a two-year life cycle
Of the 12 Bellis species from the Mediterranean region, Bellis perennis was the only specimen to make its way north in the distant past. In the course of evolution, the distinctive flowering plant developed an ingenious survival strategy for the bitterly cold winters in Central and Northern Europe. The result is growth as a biennial mini perennial with such resounding success that daisies are now among the best-known plants in Europe. The connections in short:
- In the year of sowing: growth of a green, dense rosette of leaves
- The following spring: leafless, erect stalks sprout, each with a flower head
- Annual flowering period from spring to the first frost
- Parallel to the flowering period: sowing seeds for reproduction
After flowering, a Bellis perennis dies. Since the mother plant has previously provided numerous offspring by self-sowing, the dainty blossom festival continues from year to year. The leaf rosette, from which the flower stalks rise in the year after sowing, is really hardy down to -34 degrees Celsius.
Bellis flowers stand up to frost
Bellis flowers benefit from the robust winter hardiness of their green leaf rosettes. The white-yellow ray florets unfold early in the year when other perennials are still dormant. Temperatures down to - 8 degrees Celsius do not prevent daisies from flirting with the first rays of the sun. In rainy weather or freezing frost, the clever mini perennials close their flower heads and wait for the next sunny day.
Hybrids require winter protection
The wild daisy in particular can fall back on a stable winter hardiness of up to -34 degrees Celsius. Cultivated forms, such as the lush double daisy 'Roggli', have lost frost tolerance. In the bed, a thick layer of leaves protects against frostbite. In buckets and boxes, we recommend a cover made of winter fleece or bubble wrap.
tips
In the course of its long flowering period, daisies give us a very healthy taste bud. Resourceful housewives know how to use the flowers, leaves and buds as a delicious ingredient in salads, desserts and drinks. Prepared as a tea, daisies relieve nagging stomach problems and annoying coughs.