Oxeye Daisy is a
native
perennial plant of the UK, typically found growing in grassland, coastal areas and waste ground, to a mature height of up to 60cm.
Oxeye Daisy has a typical Daisy family flowerhead comprised of tightly-packed central 'disc' florets (yellow) surrounded by single-petalled 'ray' florets (white). The Oxeye Daisy flowerhead looks very much like that of the Common Daisy, but considerably larger and with a relatively larger central area given over to disc florets. The circular arrangement and contrasting colours of the central and outer disc florets gives rise to the name 'Oxeye'.
Botanic classification and naming: Oxeye Daisy is a member of the Daisy (Asteraceae) family. The genus name
'Leucanthemum' identifies the plant as a Oxeye Daisy and its species name 'vulgare' means 'common species'.
Concerns: Oxeye Daisy can be difficult to control as a single plant can produce over 20,000 seeds and these remain viable for decades. It also spreads rapidly using rhizomes (underground rooting stems). The vigourous spread of Oxeye Daisy can reduce the quality of pasture for agriculture and improverish natural habitats by squeezing out native plants.
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