Greet Spring Fresh as a Daisy!

By Delilah Onofrey, Suntory Flowers
Photographs courtesy of Suntory Flowers

Spread spring cheer by planting Marguerite daisies, botanically known as Argyranthemum – the spring mum. With a wide array of colors, you can move beyond classic white and yellow and select from a palette of pretty pastels and even richer jewel tones.

Suntory Flowers has two series of Argyranthemums that were bred in Australia. Madeira is the more compact standard line with a profusion of daisy flowers in red, white and pink. Foliage is attractive and fernlike. Plants reach a height of 12-18 inches and spread 16-20 inches in the garden or planters.

Grandaisy produces larger plants with flowers that are twice the size! These plants are an intergeneric triploid hybrid cross between Argyranthemum and Ismelia, commonly known as tricolor chrysanthemum or tricolor daisy. A full color range spans white, red, yellow, and pink. The favorite is Grandaisy Pink Halo with light pink flowers and a dark raspberry inner ring. Plants reach a height of 18-24 inches and span 18-24 inches in the garden or planters.

Planting and Care

Hardy to USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 9-11, Argyranthemums are annuals in most climates. They become naturalized as perennials in the Mediterranean and California. They like high light conditions and cool nights. Flowers become smaller as temperatures increase. Grandaisy is not recommended for summer in the South. Up North, flowers will resume as temperatures cool in September. Plants will not survive a hard frost.

Choose well-draining soil and a full to partially sunny location. Be careful not to overwater. As a more vigorous plant, Grandaisy is thirstier than Madeira and needs to be watered more often.

Increase the bushiness of the plant by pruning and deadheading to encourage fresh blooms.

Look for Grandaisy and Madeira at the GRAMMYs!

Tu Bloom of Bloom Designs Inc. will be incorporating pink and white Grandaisy and Madeira plants in his floral designs for the 64^th Annual GRAMMY Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, April 3^rd, in Las Vegas. The plants are being grown by Armstrong Growers in California.

This will also be the third time Suntory Flowers supplies fresh cut flowers – Applause roses and Moon carnations – for the botanical designs.

Last spring, pop star Britney Spears featured Grandaisy Pink Halo in a TikTok dance video. We look forward to dancing with the stars on the red carpet!

For more information about Grandaisy and Madeira, visit www.suntoryflowers.com.

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