From the family Asteraceae, which also includes coneflowers, asters, black-eyed susans, and sunflowers, close to 10% of the flower species in the world. There are over 20,000 different species of daisy, and variations are found in almost every environment. They are remarkably adaptable, robust, and resilient, growing in the most unlikely of places sometimes. The most common varieties like sun with afternoon shade, cool temperatures, and moist, fertile soil, so it is not very drought tolerant. It frequently escapes gardens with runner roots if not hedged in correctly and is even considered a weed by some. One variety, the dandelion, is almost synonymous with weeds even though it’s one of the most nutritious variants. Its resilience leads to wide-spread prevalence, and variants can often be found in meadows, roadsides, and cemeteries.
Daisies exhibit heliotropism - they follow the sun, opening during the day and closing up at night - and that’s likely where their name is derived, “Day’s Eye”.
The traditional iconic white-petalled flower with the yellow center is the Bellis perennis variety, the latter part coming from their comparatively long bloom time, from mid-spring to as late as early autumn. They are also perennials that return year after year, though many people plant them as annuals for decorative purposes. They are especially linked to the Spring Equinox as a beacon of brighter days ahead.
Bellis perennis originated in northern, western, and central Europe and western-most parts of Asia. It has been naturalized to almost all other parts of the world.
All types of daisies are the official birth flowers for the month of April, including shasta and gerbera daisies. It is the national flower of the Netherlands.
They are considered composite flowers with the white petals and the yellow center counting as two separate blooms. For this reason, they can be associated with True Love as the two parts form one whole entity. The white petals also symbolize innocence and purity, and they’re associated with the Virgin Mary and new beginnings, especially of motherhood and childbirth. Daisy bouquets are a traditional first gift for first-time mothers. They’re also associated with rebirth cycles, as they return year after year, and thus are also related to fertility (as are most spring flowers). Their Victorian Language of Flowers meaning is “innocence, purity, loyalty, love”, so very much a childlike, naive, or innocent kind of attachment. In Norse mythology, they are sacred to the goddess Freya.
PUSHING UP THE DAISIES: However, Celtic legends say that the gods made daisies bloom over the gravesites of children and infants in an effort to comfort their grieving parents. This connection with death and recovery from grieving is likely where the phrase “pushing up the daisies” comes from. The phrase itself gained popularity and was used commonly starting around World War I, though its first recorded use was in the early 1700s by Jonathan Swift. Chinese culture also accepts daisies as a symbol of condolences at funerals as white and yellow are the most popular colors used on this occasion.
In Celtic folklore, daisies are considered a sacred flower and believed to ward off evil spirits and protect against negative intentions because of their overwhelming goodness, purity, and light (resemblance to the sun). They were used extensively in rituals to bring about blessings and good fortune.
Greek mythology says that the nymph Belides transformed herself into a daisy to escape the advances of the god Vertumnus (god of seasons, change, and plant growth, as well as the patron god of gardens and fruit trees), and Aphrodite (goddess of love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion, sex, etc.), pleased with the nymph’s cleverness, allowed her to remain a daisy forever. This could point to a secondary meaning of daisies, keeping secrets as an act of loyalty.
Different varieties of daisies have different meanings. Gerbera daisies come in a wide range of colors, each one with its own unique meaning.
Folk names for daisies include bruisewort, bairnwort, bonewort, bone flower, banwort, common gowan, woundwort, noon flower, goose flower, may gowan, and marguerite.
Daisies are generally edible and can be included in sandwiches, soups, and salads, brewed in a tea, used as edible dessert decorations, and made into wine. It’s said to have a spicy, nutty taste with a little hint of lemon. Common daisy variants that are frequently ingested are sunflowers, calendula, chamomile, and dandelions.
Medicinally, bellis perennis has been used for bruises, cuts, joint pain, skin complaints, easing stomach ulcers, gout, fever, coughing, bronchitis, muscular pain, migraine, and rheumatism.
Scientific investigation has revealed that some compounds in daisies have excellent antimicrobial and antibiotic features. It may also aid in treatment for diabetes by inducing GLUT4 translocation, reducing blood glucose levels. Investigations have been done into the anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of caffeic acid, a main component in daisies. The antioxidant effects of B. perennis extracts may additionally have anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) and antidepressant properties without the sedative effects of traditional synthetic SSRIs. There was a study (not yet replicated that I’ve found) that found a glycosidase inhibitor in the leaves of daisies similar to the key component in HIV medications, and another study (also not yet corroborated) that suggested strong anti-tumor properties in daisy extracts.
Daisies are very high in vitamin C and can help resolve migraines caused by kidney or gallbladder issues and encourages ductal capacity, induces healthy bile, and improves renal filtering. They’re also indicated to relieve blockages in the liver, helping to relieve symptoms from hepatitis, cirrhosis, bloating, constipation, and poor digestion. Chewing the raw flowers is said to relieve asthma, bronchitis, and lung problems in general. The saponins found in wild daisies may help skin cells produce more collagen, leading to faster and more complete dermatic healing (no scars).
In other words, Daisies are kind of the world champion bad-a$$es of the plant kingdom.