The Oxeye Daisy

Wildflower Not Weed

Oxeye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) is one of Britain's most recognisable meadow wildflowers. Its white petals and yellow centre are a cheery antidote to a dull summer, flowering from late spring through summer in meadows, field margins and roadside verges.

The Oxeye Daisy, or Moon Daisy, has little to do with the kind of daisies you find in the lawn. Its flower obviously looks like a giant daisy - ish - but botanically it's only a distant relative to Bellis perennis. Rather unimaginatively, its botanical name derives from the Greek meaning "common white flower". Does its flower look like an Ox's eye? Or the moon? Also ish.

Differing Views

It's a wildflower which divides the room. There aren't that many white meadow species, and, like yellow, apparently white doesn't have universal appeal. Oxeye Daisies have a simple attraction to many, like cornfield annuals. They're easy to grow and harvest (so the seed is cheap) and bomb proof - so they are always a significant part of constructed seed mixes for neutral soils. They don't seem to attract many pollinators and they can take over in midsummer, pushing out other less vigorous species. My sense is that they are one of the winners from soil nitrification, and we're going to see much more of them in years to come. 

Soil Nitrification

What's causing higher nitrogen levels in soil?

• Historical fertiliser use.
• Nutrient enrichment from livestock.
• Atmospheric nitrogen deposition (from agriculture, traffic and industry).
• Nutrient-rich runoff from surrounding land.
• Poor management strategies.

This all mitigates against slower growing or smaller plant species. It's a clear trend, which you can see in the BSBI's Plant Atlas. We're losing floral diversity as a result. Does this matter? You bet. It's not just a question of losing flora; we're also losing the animals which depend on these plants. 

Oxeye Daisy, though, is an opportunistic and vigorous large species which seem to enjoy higher nutrient levels than most wildflowers. You can see that with new meadows; along with Ribwort Plantain or Lesser Knapweed it can dominate on medium fertility neutral soils. As soil nutrient levels drop through careful management, the sward will become more balanced. Oxeye Daisy numbers will decline, and other species become more prominent.

This can take a while, and it's not a linear decline! It's evidently a good year for them and they've put on a spectacular show in one of our meadow areas, which is now 12 years old. I was surprised to see them like this again. We have more recently created meadow sections which have far fewer Oxeye Daisies, I think because they've been sown straight onto pretty skeletal subsoil. 

Whoa! 

Management

Numbers will decline over time with normal meadow management, but you can accelerate this process if you want by taking an early hay cut, in the first half of July - i.e. before they set seed. Don't create any bare ground by using a chain harrow, for example, as they'll be quick to colonise it. Personally I wouldn't bother unless they really were taking over. Part of the charm of meadows is their constantly changing character.

Biodiversity Value

It's not true either that Leucanthemum vulgare has limited value for biodiversity. It's not a key species, but it does have its place in a meadow ecosystem. As you would expect of any native species. Like all native wildflowers it's a food plant for butterflies and moth caterpillars.

I'm sceptical of claims that it's a great plant for pollinators though - certainly the more obvious candidates like bees and hover-flies. The flowers seem to provide a more generalist resource, and one that's helpful in the "midsummer gap" when little else is in flower. Incidentally, I think that's one of the reasons they can look so dominant in midsummer.

Rather than bees and butterflies I more notice beetles, thrips and small flies on the flowers. The habit of the plant - i.e. tall - must mean it provides helpful habitat to a range of invertebrates, including predators. These small insects are also, of course, part of the diet of a number of bird species. They will share Oxeye Daisy seed with small mammals.  

Feel The Love

I think that - like Ribwort Plantain - the Oxeye Daisy is a plant we should learn to love. Like any meadow species it's telling us about soil conditions and management. And like any meadow species it can be controlled if you take against it. Oh - and did I mention? - we sell it as seed or as plug plants.