Weed of the Week - Oxeye Daisy

The oxeye daisy (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum) is short-lived perennial.  Originally brought here from Europe intentionally as an ornamental and incidentally as a contaminant of imported hay and grain seeds.

Natural History

Oxeye daisy plant with ray flower (A), disc flower

(B), seed (C), lower leaf detail (D), and rootstalk (E) - MSU

Leaves - Montana Weed Control Association

Flower - Oklahoma Biological Survey

The ox-eye daisy is a member of the Asteraceae family.  It is a perennial herbaceous plant with thin 1- 2' tall stems typically branch above to produce two or more flower heads; smells like sage. It is the only large white daisy that has escaped gardens.  The leaves are alternate, lobed and deeply cut.  The root system is densely fibrous and forms offsets from short rhizomes.

The ox-eye daisy looks like some asters and is often confused with the ornamental Shasta daisy. The Shasta daisy's flowerheads tend to be larger than the ox-eye and it is usually taller than the ox-eye daisy.

Management Strategies
Preventing spread and minimizing establishment is critical in the control of any weed.  For small patches hoe or hand-pull seedlings and young plants. This is most effective when done before oxeye daisy flowers and the seed is dispersed.  A wildflower seed mix may contain ox eye daisy, so read the label carefully before using any wildflower seed mix. Biological controls have not yet been developed to manage oxeye daisies.  Some other methods for control are:

• Hand pulling and grubbing (i.e. digging up the roots)
• Tilling
• Mowing
• Grazing
• Chemicals

See  Oxeye Daisy for details on management strategies.


Additional Information

Oxeye Daisy - Virginia Tech

Invasive Plants Ox-eye Daisy - Montana State University

Oxeye Daisy Identification and Control - Salt Lake County