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Lawn and Turfgrass Weeds: English Daisy

English daisy, also called common daisy, is a weed of home lawns, parks, and other turf areas. This species is often found growing in moist, fertile soils and in full sun or partial shade.

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Updated:

February 27, 2023

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Figure 1. English daisy growing in a park in Clifton Springs, NY during early May. Photo: Peter Landschoot, Penn State

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It produces basal rosettes that spread and form clumps or patches in turf. English daisy (Bellis perennis L.) produces small flowers with white petals and yellow centers that grow close to the ground. When flowering, it is one of the more attractive weed species that occurs in turf, and some landowners and park managers prefer to allow scattered patches to remain in the stand.

Figure 2. English daisy plant with a rosette of basal leaves and flowers Photo: Peter Landschoot, Penn State

Life Cycle

English daisy is a member of the aster family (Asteraceae), and is considered a herbaceous perennial. Individual plants form short, thick rhizomes which produce new plants at nodes. This species produces flowers during the spring and seeds can be wind-disseminated and give rise to new plants.

Identification

English daisy produces short-statured rosettes of spatula-shaped leaves ranging from 1 to 2.5 inches in length. Leaves are rounded at the top and often have slightly serrated margins. Flowers of English daisy are 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter with many white petals encircling a central cluster of yellow disk florets.

Figure 3. Leaves of English daisy showing rounded tops with sparsely serrated margins, narrowing to a thin petiole. Photo: Peter Landschoot, Penn State

Figure 4. Flowers of English daisy with white petals (sometimes with a pink tinge) and yellow florets in the center. Photo: Peter Landschoot, Penn State

Management and Control

Infestations of English daisy can be reduced by improving turf density through good establishment procedures, use of turfgrasses well-adapted to site conditions, and fertilization. This weed can be suppressed or controlled with various postemergence herbicides.

Some postemergence herbicide products labeled for control of English daisy.
Active ingredients	Product name(s)*
2,4-D, 2,4-DP, and dicamba	Super Trimec (ester formulation)
2,4-D, clopyralid, and dicamba	Millennium Ultra 2**
2,4-D, fluroxypyr, and dicamba	Escalade 2, Escalade
2,4-D, fluroxypyr, triclopyr, and flumioxazin	Sure Power (ester formulation)
2,4-D, MCPP, dicamba	Trimec Classic
2,4-D, MCPP, dicamba, and carfentrazone-ethyl	Speedzone
2,4-D, quinclorac, and dicamba	Quincept; 2DQ Herbicide; Triad QC Select, Triad SFZ Select
2,4-D, quinclorac, dicamba, and sulfentrazone	Q4 Plus
2,4-D, fluroxypyr, and triclopyr	Momentum FX2
2,4-D, fluroxypyr, triclopyr, and sulfentrazone	Momentum 4-Score
2,4-D, triclopyr, dicamba, and pyraflufen-ethyl	4-Speed XT (ester formulation)
2,4-D, triclopyr, dicamba, and sulfentrazone	Foundation
fluroxypyr, dicamba, and fenoxaprop-p-ethyl	Last Call Selective Herbicide
MCPA, fluroxypyr, and dicamba	Change Up
MCPA, fluroxypyr, and triclopyr	Battleship III
MCPA, MCPP, and dicamba	Trimec Encore, Tri-Power Selective Herbicide
MCPA, MCPP, dicamba, and carfentrazone-ethyl	Powerzone (ester formulation)
MCPA, triclopyr, and dicamba	Lesco Three-Way Ester II, Cool Power (ester formulation)
quinclorac	Drive XLR8, Quinclorac 1.5 L, Quinclorac 75 DF
triclopyr and clopyralid	2-D Herbicide, Confront**
triclopyr and fluroxypyr	Tailspin
2,4-D, triclopyr, dicamba, and sulfentrazone	Tzone SE (ester formuation)