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Common Name: Showy Daisy
Other Common Names: Oregon Daisy
Scientific Name: Erigeron speciosus
Family: Aster Family (Asteraceae)
Distribution: common and widely distributed throughout western North America
Habitat: sagebrush-grassland, mountain brush and mountain forest and meadow communities
Habit: rhizomatous perennial herb
Height: 1-1.5'
Spread: 1-several feet, forms patches
Foliage Color: bright green
Leaves: lance-shaped leaves borne alternately along the stems
Flower Color: pink or lavender ray flowers, yellow disk flowers
Flower Form: flowers in heads 1-1.5" across, with numerous narrow ray flowers and numerous disk flowers; heads borne at the tips of branches in flat-topped inflorescences
Cultural Requirements: Prefers full sun to near-complete shade and and relatively rich soils. Fully cold-hardy. Reasonably drought hardy (i.e., needs little supplemental water after establishment on the Wasatch Front), but tolerant of overwatering.
Culture: Seeds are nondormant and may be direct-seeded in containers. Be sure to thin if you have overseeded. This species may be successfully field- seeded in late fall.
Uses and Notes of Interest: Showy daisy commonly carpets the ground beneath aspens, and is also abundant in mountain meadows. It lives up to its name, producing a profusion of blossoms and flowering for a long time. It will flower a second time if spent stalks are clipped in midsummer. Showy daisy is one of the few rhizomatous native plants that we would recommend for home gardens. It is slow to spread, and this tendency can be controlled by cutting back on water. It would be a good choice for naturalizing under shade trees where traditional lawn does poorly, and it can thrive on far less water.