Culture

Easily grown in average, dry to medium, well-drained soils in full sun. Good soil drainage is essential. Wet soils in winter can be fatal. Tolerates some light shade, particularly in hot summer climates or when plants are being grown in dryish soils. Remove spent flower heads to promote additional bloom. Divide clumps as needed (every 2-3 years) to maintain vigor. Plants are somewhat short-lived. Consider cutting stems back to basal leaves after flowering to preserve plant energies and perhaps prolong plant life.

'Snowcap' has compact form that enables it to resist difficult weather conditions better than taller cultivars.

Noteworthy Characteristics

Leucanthemum × superbum, commonly called Shasta daisy, is a hybrid developed by Luther Burbank (1849-1926) in the 1890s near snow covered Mt. Shasta in northern California. Burbank crossed L. vulgare (European oxeye daisy), L. maximum (Pyrenees chrysanthemum), L. lacustre (Portuguese field daisy) and Nipponanthemum nipponicum (Japanese field daisy) to produce Leucanthemum × superbum which was given the common name of Shasta daisy. This hybrid typically grows to 2-3' tall with a spread to 18" wide.

Leucanthemums were formerly included in the genus Chrysanthemum.

Genus name comes from the Greek leukos meaning white and anthemum meaning flower in reference to the white flowers of some species.

The hybrid name superbum means superb.

'Snowcap' is a compact Shasta daisy cultivar that grows to 15-18" tall with a spread to 12" wide. Large, single daisies (to 4" diameter) bloom profusely throughout summer (July to September) on stiff flowering stems rising above a medium to dark green basal rosette of narrow, coarsely-toothed, short-petioled, oblanceolate leaves (to 12" long). Each flower has bright white rays surrounding a bright golden yellow center disk. Narrow, coarsely-toothed, much shorter, sessile stem leaves are lanceolate. 'Snowcap' was introduced by Alan Bloom of Blooms of Bressingham in the 1980s.

Problems

Leucanthemums generally have some susceptibility to verticillium wilt, leaf spots and stem rots. Aphids, leaf miners and mites are occasional visitors.

Uses

Shasta daisies provide long-lasting summer bloom and are mainstays of the perennial border, cottage garden and cutting garden. Rock gardens. Containers.