A staple in English borders, golden marguerite is a workhorse as well as a bright star. In spring the finely divided, toothed leaves emerge from the soil with their downy undersides, and give way to daisy-like flowers. The flowers are borne singly on stiff stems and hold their faces to the sun above the aromatic foliage. With moisture and deadheading the flowers keep coming all summer and sometimes into the fall. The big worry is that the plants will bloom themselves to an early demise but cutting off the flowering stems in the late summer gives them a chance to put their energy into providing for the next year’s bloom. Golden marguerite is easy to grow and resists pests and diseases. It requires no fertilization and in fact, grows lanky and needs staking if over fertilized. The bad news? This is a plant only for northern gardens; in areas south of zone 7 it will be attractive until the summer heat arrives and then become a mess.
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Bloom: Masses of single, white, yellow, or orange daisy-like flowers, 1 ½-2” in diameter, are borne on stiff stems from early to late summer.
Foliage: Aromatic, 3’ long, toothed leaves with downy undersides.
Size: 2-3’ H x 2” W
Light: Full sun
Soil: Average, moist, well-drained.
Fertilizer: Do not fertilize; over fertilization may result in lankiness and the need for staking.
Hardiness: Zones 3-7
Care: Pinch young plants (like mums); cut back severely after flowering to encourage basal growth; divide every 2 years.
Pests and Diseases: None of significance.
Propagation: Seed, division, cuttings
Companion plants: Garden phlox (Phlox paniculata), ladybells (Adenoophora confusa), bee balm (Monarda), balloon flower (Platycodon spp.), bellflowers (Campanula spp.) blue sages, granebills (Geranium spp)
Outstanding Selections:
- ‘É. C. Buxton’ (ivory rays, light yellow center; 2-2 ½’ tall; drought tolerant)
- ‘Grallagh Gold’ (yellow orange; 2’ tall)
- ‘Kelway’ (bright yellow; 3’ tall)
- ‘Moonlight’ (light yellow; 18”” tall)
- ‘A Susanna Mitchell’ ( silvery fern-like leaves; flowers creamy white rays; yellow centers; 4” tall)
- ‘A. Sancti-Johannis’ (orange; 2’ tall)
Karen Meyers