Oxeye Daisy

Oxeye Daisy - Leucanthemum vulgare

Description

Short to tall patch forming plant with short leafy stolons. Stems erect, ridged, often branched. Leaves dark green, oblong toothed, the basal leaves stalked, the upper clasping the stem and unstalked. Flowerheads white with a yellow disc. Large daisies 25 to 50 mm with long strap shaped rays.

Similar Species

Very variable, due to introductions in wildflower seed; there may be many subspecies, or this may be a species aggregate.  Similar garden escapes are Shasta daisy and Autumn Ox-eye.

Identification difficulty
Habitat

Rough grassy habitats, roadside verges, banks, hayfields.

When to see it

May to September.

Life History

Perennial.

UK Status

Common throughout Britain.

VC55 Status

Common in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 452 of the 617 tetrads.

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020

UK Map

Additional images

All NatureSpot records

Photo of the association

Bucculatrix nigricomella

The larvae of the moth Bucculatrix nigricomella mine the leaves of Oxeye Daisy producing a long, thin, often rather contorted mine.

Photo of the association

Phytomyza paraciliata

The larvae of the Agromyzid fly Phytomyza paraciliata mine the leaves of Leucanthemum species such as Oxeye Daisy and Shasta Daisy. The mine is initially long and linear, but then doubles back. Initially the mine appears on the underside of the leaf but later appears on upper surface. The frass appears in discrete grains along a loose string, gradually become more dense as the larva grows.

A number of species produce similar mines on these plants so the larva must be reared to the adult stage and then males can be identified from an examination of the genitalia. Females are very difficult to identify.

Photo of the association

Phytomyza leucanthemi

The larva of the Agromyzid fly Phytomyza leucanthemi mines the leaves of Chrysanthemum and Leucanthemum (Oxeye Daisy group) creating an irregular, linear mine with frass in widely spaced grains. Mostly found on the lower basal leaves.