Oxeye daisy

Chrysanthemum leucanthemum L.; Leucanthemum vulgare Lam.

Keys to Identification

Oxeye daisy can be identified by its daisy-like flowers
Flowering heads are solitary at the ends of branches, have white ray flowers and yellow disk flowers and are about 2 inches in diameter

This information courtesy of the Colorado Natural Areas Program

Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower)

Other Names: white daisy

USDA Code: CHLE80, LEVU

Legal Status: Colorado Noxious Weed List B

Identification

Lifecycle: Perennial, short-lived

Growth form: Forb

Flower: Flowering heads are solitary at the ends of branches. Flowerheads have white ray flowers and yellow disk flowers.

Seeds/Fruit: Fruits have about 10 ribs.

Leaves: Alternately arranged leaves become progressively smaller upward along the stem. Basal and lower stem leaves are 2-5 in long, lance-shaped to narrowly egg-shaped. The upper leaves become stalkless and toothed.

Stems: Mature plants are 10-24 in tall with erect, smooth to sparsely hairy stems.

Roots: The plants have shallow, branched rhizomes.

Seedling: No information available.

Similar Species

Exotics: Oxeye daisy is easily confused with the ornamental Shasta daisy (Chrysanthemum maximum), which is a more robust plant with larger flowers.

Natives: None known.

Impacts

Agricultural: The plant is unpalatable to cattle; dense infestations can reduce cattle forage.

Ecological: If given the chance, this plant can become noxious and is capable of taking over and modifying natural areas, pasture and rangeland (Rutledge and McLendon, 1998), and may increase soil erosion compared to native plant communities (Olson and Wallander 1999)

Human: No information available.

Habitat and Distribution

General requirements: In Colorado, oxeye daisy is usually found at higher elevations in meadows, along roadsides, and in waste places. In many places this plant escaped from gardens and established in meadows, around mines and ghost towns in the mountains (Rutledge and McLendon, 1998).

Distribution: Widely distributed throughout the United States.

Historical: Escaped from cultivation as an ornamental.

Biology/ Ecology

Life cycle: Basal rosettes must experience a period of cold temperatures

Mode of reproduction: Oxeye daisy reproduces by seeds and short rootstocks.

Seed production: A typical plant produces over 500 seeds.

Seed bank: Seeds can remain viable in the soil for at least 2-3 years and sometimes far longer (Rutledge and McLendon, 1998).

Dispersal: No information available.

Integrated Management Summary

Oxeye daisy has the potential to invade disturbed areas, form small colonies, and modify existing communities.

Integrated treatments potentially include nitrogen fertilization and sheep or goat grazing; and nitrogen fertilization and picloram application. Nitrogen fertilizer stimulates other vegetation, especially grasses, that likely out-compete daisy plants for nitrogen, grow taller and shade out the daisy. Sheep or goat grazing is designed to selectively impacts the daisy without adversely affecting the desirable species. Picloram can effectively control daisy plants but it can damage desirable forbs, as well.

References

Olson, B.E. and R.T. Wallander. 1999. Oxeye daisy. In R.L. Sheley and J.K. Petroff , eds. Biology and Management of Noxious Rangeland Weeds. Oregon State University Press, Corvallis, OR

Rutledge, C. R. and T. McLendon. No Year. An Assessment of Exotic Plant Species of Rocky Mountain National Park. Department of Rangeland Ecosystem Science, Colorado State University. 97pp. Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Home Page. http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/othrdata/Explant/explant.htm [Version 15 Dec 98].

Whitson, T.D.(ed.), L.C. Burrill, S.A. Dewey, D.W. Cudney, B.E. Nelson, R.D. Lee, R. Parker. 1996. Oxeye daisy. Weeds of the West. Western Society of Weed Science, in cooperation with the Western United States Land Grant Universities Cooperative Extension Services, Newark, CA.

CWMA