The daisy, delicate and pure. National flower of Italy.

Daisies are one of the most tender flowers that we can find in our garden. Today’s article is dedicated to them.

The daisies

Origin

Daisies are perennial herbaceous plants that originated in Europe, are part of the family Asteraceas flowers. Its scientific name is Bellis perennis, but it is commonly known as common daisy or chiribita.

Mythology and legends

A Roman legend tells that the nymph Belides, while dancing with the other nymphs on the edge of the forest, caught the attention of Vertumnus, the god of the orchards. In order to escape from her unwanted attention, she asked the gods to help her in her flight to escape her undesirable pursuer and these transformed her into the flower bellis, botanical name of the daisy.

There is another legend about this beautiful flower. Here I leave it.

A Christian legend tells that the wise men in their expedition to find the Child Jesus asked for a sign to help them. Suddenly they noticed many clusters of small white daisies near a barn. Recognizing that the flower is similar to the suspended star, they knew that they had found the Holy Family.

Daisy seeds

Characteristics

Daisies can reach a height of 15 cm up to 1 meter. The stems are elongated and thin. Its leaves are also elongated and dark green. Its flowers are medium and have a yellow center. We can find daisies of different colors like yellow, white, blue and red. In general, daisies need to be located in an area exposed directly to the sun and with abundant humidity. In addition, the soil must be fertile. If you want to plant margaritas the best time of year is in spring, preferably with seeds. Daisies are plants that are very resistant to pests and diseases.

National flower

The daisy is the national flower of Italy. This was chosen as the favorite flower of Queen Margaret of Saboya.

Types of daisies

At present more than 20,000 different species of daisies are recognized. These plants compete with orchids for the largest number of species that exist on our planet. Here I mention some of the best-known species.

Thymophylla tenuiloba

This is the scientific name of the yellow daisy. If you want to grow this flower in your garden you should only place it in a sunny place with abundant humidity, although it should have good drainage, so that the water does not puddle. You can apply a little fertilizer, but in small doses.

Bellis perennis

This species of daisy has different care than the rest, because it should be located in an area of the garden where the sun is shining, but also the shade at a certain time of the day. This should be watered abundantly while it is growing and in the hottest months of the year. The rest of the time the irrigation is more scarce. This daisy should be specially protected from the air, because it does a lot of damage to it.

Callistephus chinensis

This is the scientific name of the most commonly known as the daisy queen. This plant should be in a sunny area and irrigate abundantly in the hottest months of the year. It is native to Japan and China.

Daisy from Shasta

This type of margarita is one of the largest, so it must be planted directly on land and in places where it receives plenty of sunshine. It should be watered in the early hours of the morning or after sunset.

Chrysanthemum furtescens

It is the scientific name for the shrubby daisy, which also needs to be in a sunny area, but requires more moisture than yellow daisy and it is necessary to apply more fertilizer periodically, but never during the summer.

Purple echinacea

This daisy is native to North America and is one of the largest, because it can reach more than 120 centimeters in height. This species must receive the sun’s rays in a partial way, although it does maintain, as in the other types of daisies, the need for the soil to be always moist. In addition, they can be recognized by their petals beautifully decorated with an intense purple color. The central button of these daisies, is also accompanied by a series of small flowers that give it a unique look.

Rudbeckia

This kind of daisy is wild and very resistant to climatic variations. It is recommended that you be in a sunny area and that you do not lack water, however you can survive the lack of irrigation provided it is not excessively prolonged. It can reach a height between 0.5 and 3 meters. Its dark red color in the center combines perfectly with softer yellowish tones at the end, giving it a special elegance.

Gerber Daisy

This type of daisy needs even more than the others to be exposed to sunlight to live. It is also important that the soil is moist. Its multicolored petals tend to attract birds, you must take into account if you have them in your garden so that it does not affect the rest of your plants. Its ornamental beauty makes it part of numerous floral arrangements at weddings and celebrations. We can find it in various regions of Asia, South Africa and Madagascar.

Argyranthemum frutescens

This variety of daisy is native to Spain, specifically from the Canary Islands. Its best habitat is an area that is in full sun. And although it is resistant, it needs frequent water and moist soil to prevent it from wilting. It is popularly known by the name Magarza and its petals can cover several tones ranging from pure white to pink or yellow.

Meaning

In ancient times the maidens adorned their hair with daisies, since then it represents innocence and purity. In addition, young people defoliated petal by petal to decipher their love corresponded, with the classic “I love, do not love me”, so they are also linked in a certain way to love. However, its meaning also varies according to its color:

White: beauty

Yellow: loyal love

Rojas: the loving impetus

Blues: fidelity

Multicolor: happiness

Applications

Daisies are usually used to make bouquets. Undoubtedly a bouquet of daisies will gladden the day you receive it, do not miss the opportunity to give this gift to someone special for you. In addition to decorative uses, they also have others. For example, culinary uses: young and fresh leaves of daisies can be used for salad. Its medicinal properties are also known, since dried flowers are used to make infusions. This is because margaritas have antispasmodic, soothing, digestive and astringent properties.

As you can see, these flowers are special because of their variety and meanings. They are easy to grow and look beautiful in our garden. Tell me if you already have them or you dare to plant them.

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