Ox-eye Daisy (Chrysanthemum officinale L.)

Status:

Listed Noxious Weed In Montana

History:

First Montana Specimen Collected 1

County:

Lewis & Clark

Year:

1890

The oxeye daisy is short-lived perennial originally brought here from Europe. The dainty flowers have escaped cultivation and now crowd out other plants on many rangelands. A vigorous daisy can produce 26,000 seeds per plant, while smaller specimens produce 1,300 to 4,000 seeds per plant. Tests have shown that 82% of the buried seeds remained viable after six years, and 1% was still viable after 39 years. Oxeye daisy requires cold winters to initiate blooming. The plant also reproduces vegetatively with spreading rootstalks. Daisies are resistant to many herbicides.

Habitat:

Growth Habit:

Perennial, erect to 2 feet tall.

Leaves:

Lower leaves – lance-shaped, 2 to 5 inches long including short stalk, margins lobed of
deeply parted. Upper Leaves – lance-shaped, attached directly to stem, margins toothed

Stem:

Numerous from root crown, terminating in flowers.

Flower:

Solitary, 1½ inches wide, numerous white petals and a yellow center. Flowers June to August.

Roots:

Fibrous.

Seeds:

Straw Colored, 1/8 inch long.

Other Notes:

Worldwide there are about 200 species of daisy. The oxeye daisy (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum) is a beautiful flower, one that is both loved and hated. It was a plague
on pastures and crop fields across Europe. The Scots called the flowers "gools".
The farmer with the most gools in their wheat field had to pay an extra tax. Now the gools have invaded this continent from coast to coast.