I would like a daisy that comes back year after year reliably and doesn't get more than 18 inches tall at the most. Just an old fashioned looking daisy. Any suggestions? Seems like there are so many names I don't know where to start.

Shasta Daisy would fit your bill and check out Crazy Daisy too .. it's a sport of the Shasta if I remember correctly.

I seen a daisy called "freak" or something like that at Lowes last year, but didn't care for it. I didn't like the banana one they had either as it was creamy color and I am looking for just a plain ol daisy. I seen today that HD had a daisy and the label said SHASTA-" White Mountain" so then I was confused. Isn't Shasta the name of it anyway? or are there different kinds of Shasta? Anyway it was rather fleshy with thick stems and not at all like the ones I remember playing w as a kid. The flower did look normal though. Just he texture of the stems and leaves was odd to me.

http://www.bluestoneperennials...

How about this one?

I LOVE IT! it's just what I am looking for!
Thank you for that link!

Chysanthemum x rubellium might fit the bill as well. There's a couple of them that are exquiste, one is Mary Stoker
Hardy Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum x rubellum 'Mary Stoker')
Mary Stoker may exceed your desired height by 6" as it is about 24" in height.

another might be Clara Curtis
Hardy Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum x rubellum 'Clara Curtis')

Bluestone has Mary Stoker for sure, possibly Clara Curtis too, but you'd have to check on the latter suggestion.

jmorth said:Chysanthemum x rubellium might fit the bill as well. There's a couple of them that are exquiste, one is Mary Stoker
Hardy Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum x rubellum 'Mary Stoker')
Mary Stoker may exceed your desired height by 6" as it is about 24" in height.

another might be Clara Curtis
Hardy Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum x rubellum 'Clara Curtis')

Bluestone has Mary Stoker for sure, possibly Clara Curtis too, but you'd have to check on the latter suggestion.

I love both of those! However, neither is white.

Must have missed that requirement when reading parameters sought. Sorry.

The pink one is pretty, but it won't match the color pattern where I need it. I might keep it in mind for somewhere else though later.
thanks for the suggestion!

I'm having trouble finding a white Shasta that returns reliably. Like you, I'd be happy with any simple white daisy bloom, would just like it to return well.

With a lot of perennials, Annie's Annuals recommends cutting back after flowering and side dressing with manure. I'm curious if a bit of tlc like that would help maintain them?

Ok, Shastas not returning is so foreign to me! I have a clump that at least doubles every year. I cull half of it every fall to keep them in check. They are pretty, and my original plant came from my mom. But for some reason I'm just not in love with them. I have other white daisies that I love. Crazy Daisy, Tinkerbelle, and a really really short one I got last fall from Lowe's (hmm, I wonder if it over wintered). Oh and a really cool daisy called Whiral Pride.

Jennifer, the best run I had was with Alaska planted in clay soil, they lasted 3 or 4 years. That bed did get really neglected after that, so they may have gotten crowded out. How tall does your vigorous one get? I had thought maybe the soil being too rich was the problem, since those in clay soil did so well.

Neal, the ones I gave Jennifer were Alaska as well. They die out from the center and produce more off shoots, therefore they really need to be divided or replanted every few years. But they seem to always come back.

Come to think of it, those first few years I was good about dividing, then when neglected for a couple of years they died out. Alaska is the one I'll try again. Those are pretty easy from seed, I need to just pick up a pack

Checked my tiny daisy. It survived just fine!

I know that african daisies are not hardy, would not come back in the spring. But do they re-seed? I seen some beautiful ones at a local nursery but I'm afraid to spend the money on them if they won't re-seed.