High altitude gardening: Is the Shasta daisy the poster child of Lake Tahoe?
Submitted by paula on Wed, 06/14/2023 - 12:06am
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Leucanthemum × superbum, better known as the Shasta daisy, is a very popular plant at Lake Tahoe. It originated as a hybrid produced in 1890 by the American horticulturist Luther Burbank from a number of daisies. While the intergenetic crosses and multiple hybrids used to create the Shasta Daisy can be interesting to some, its hearty white flowers and relatively low maintenance may be more important to the Tahoe gardener.
If you thought a Shasta daisy was all you had to ask for at the nursery, you are wrong. There are so many varieties (or cultivars).
Since the end of the 1800s, Shasta daisy cultivars started to offer larger, longer-blooming flowers available in single, double, quilled, and fringed forms, some even have yellow petals. You now have a broader range of plant heights to choose from as well, from container-friendly versions under a foot tall to waist-high varieties just right for petal plucking. There is the 'Becky', the 'Snow Lady', the 'Esther Read', as well as the 'Silver Princess', 'Tinkerbell', 'Wirral Pride', 'Wirral Supreme', 'T.E. Killin', and 'Wirral Supreme,' and the list continues. Not to throw in a new fact, the Izabel isn't white, it has a yellow flower.
Many say the Shasta daisy is what most people consider to be the poster child for the perfect daisy — pure white she-loves-me-she-loves-me-not petals radiating from a sunny yellow center. While it may seem foolish to try to improve upon such perfection, there’s nothing wrong with having a bit of variety.
Locals say the pretty flowers of the Shasta daisy are a symbol of Lake Tahoe. On Monday, Tahoe Outdoor Living in South Lake Tahoe received 50 of the 'Beckie' plants. By Tuesday, they were gone.
The Beckie is popular because of its height, it can grow up to four feet tall, has large flowers and flowers later than others. Jose Gonzalez of Tahoe Outdoor Living said the flowers on the 'Betsy' are actually larger, and he has some of those still in stock.
If it is a shorter plant you're looking for, the Snow Lady is the shortest at about 12".
All of the cultivars are fairly drought tolerant when established, though they look better when watered every other day. They do well in full sun as well as in light shade.
Want to plant in groups? The Black-Eyed-Susan makes a stunning partner with the Shasta Daisey, according to Gonzalez.
According to Garden Design, Shasta daisies readily self-sow, though the offspring don’t always look like the parent plants. The most reliable propagation method is to divide your plants every other year. Because Shastas are often short-lived perennials, this will also help to maintain their vigor and increase their lifespan. The best time for division is in early spring or immediately after flowering.
Garden Design also said deadheading the spent flowers of Shasta daisies will extend their bloom period and prevent plants from going to seed. In the fall, after your plants have finished blooming, cut back the dead stems to basal growth and cover them with a layer of mulch to provide winter protection.
For the first three Tahoe gardening articles:
South Lake Tahoe gardens - Dig it - https://southtahoenow.com/story/05/27/2023/south-lake-tahoe-gardening-dig-it
Gardening 101 - https://southtahoenow.com/story/05/30/2023/south-lake-tahoe-gardening-getting-started-101
Growing your own food - https://southtahoenow.com/story/06/06/2023/south-lake-tahoe-gardening-growing-your-own-food-and-week...