Gardening Flowers Perennials How to Plant and Grow Painted Daisy Attract more butterflies to your garden with this long-blooming perennial. By Nadia Hassani Nadia Hassani Nadia Hassani is a gardening and food writer with more than two decades of hands-on gardening experience in vegetable and fruit gardening, landscaping with native plants, and garden design. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on July 20, 2023 In This Article View All In This Article Where to Plant Planting Tips Care Pests and Problems Propagation Types Companion Plants FAQ Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Peter Krumhardt A perennial with flowering power, painted daisy is an all-star in cottage gardens and all kinds of vases. This flower first blooms in early summer and continues to bloom sporadically until the first frost. Its chartreuse-to-medium green foliage has a feathery, fernlike appearance that enhances gardens even when the plant is not in bloom. Painted daisy is toxic to humans and pets. Painted Daisy Overview Genus Name Tanacetum coccineum Common Name Painted Daisy Plant Type Perennial Light Part Sun, Sun Height 1 to 3 feet Width 1 to 2 feet Flower Color Pink, Red, White Foliage Color Blue/Green, Chartreuse/Gold Season Features Fall Bloom, Summer Bloom Special Features Attracts Birds, Cut Flowers, Good for Containers Zones 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 Propagation Division, Seed Where to Plant Painted Daisy Find a location where the plant gets at least half a day of full sun. The soil should be well-drained and slightly acidic to neutral. Painted daisy is rich in nectar, making it a prime attraction for butterflies and bees. Plant it in a butterfly garden alongside other perennials such as beebalm, aster, blanket flower, daylily, false indigo, garden phlox, blazing star, globe thistle, goldenrod, or hollyhock. These butterfly-friendly plants also suit cottage gardens. Create mixed groups of three to five plants of each species to gain a colorful border that reveals new blossoms every day. Another colorful option is to grow painted daisy in containers alongside chartreuse varieties of coleus, sprawling clumps of million bells, and vertical accent plant Angelonia, also known as summer snapdragon. How and When to Plant Painted Daisy If you cannot find potted painted daisy at the nursery or garden center, you can start it from seed. Sow seeds indoors four to six weeks before the last spring frost. Barely cover the seeds as they need light to germinate. Keep it evenly moist. Seedlings will emerge in about two to three weeks. Transplant the painted daisy when all danger of frost is past. In the absence of rain. water thoroughly at least twice a week to help the plants develop strong root systems. Space the plants 18 to 24 inches apart. Painted Daisy Care Tips When grown in suitable conditions, painted daisy is a care-free plant. Light Full sun is a must when painted daisy is grown in a northern climate. Morning sun and afternoon shade is preferable in locations with hot summers Soil and Water Painted daisy is unfussy about soil texture and soil pH (between 5.2 and 7.0 is ideal) but needs excellent drainage. The plant does poorly in heavy clay. Established plants only need watering during extended dry periods. Painted daisy can survive dry spells. Temperature and Humidity Painted daisy is very cold-hardy and can be grown as low as in Zone 3. It does not do well in extremely hot summers nor high humidity. Fertilizer Fertilize the plant early in the spring when the new growth starts. Use a bloom-boosting slow-release fertilizer that is high in phosphorus, such as 5-10-5. A second application of fertilizer after the first bloom helps to extend the bloom period Pruning Encourage dense, compact plants by pinching plant stems back by one-third in the spring when plants are 6 to 8 inches tall. Pinching will encourage plants to form side branches, adding strength and flowering potential to the stems. Snip away spent blooms after the plant's first flush of flowers in spring. Continue removing spent flowers throughout the season to spur the plant to create new blossoms. Potting and Repotting When planting painted daisy in containers, select a small cultivar. Use a pot with large drainage holes and fill it with well-draining potting mix. Keep in mind that potted plants need more frequent watering and fertilizer than plants in the landscape. Although painted daisy is winter-hardy in cold climates, when grown in containers, its roots are exposed to the cold. To winterize the pots, insulate them by sinking the container in the ground or by placing it in a second, larger pot to create a planting silo. When the root system has reached the sides of the container or roots are growing out of the drainage holes, it is time to repot the painted daisy in a larger container with fresh potting soil. Pests and Problems Painted daisy is not bothered by serious pests and diseases. Occasionally it might be aphids, leaf miners, spider mites, leafhoppers, thrips, or nematodes. The plant is rarely damaged by deer. How to Propagate Painted Daisy Like other perennials, you can propagate painted daisy by division. Dig up the clump in early spring or late fall. Using a sharp spade, cut the clump into three or four pieces with ample root systems attached to each. Replant the divisions at the same depth as the original plant. Water well after planting. Types of Painted Daisy 'Brenda' Painted Daisy Peter Krumhardt Tanacetum coccineum 'Brenda' gas showy magenta blossoms with yellow centers . It grows 2 to 3 feet tall. Zone 3-7 'Robinson Red' Painted Daisy This cultivar of Tanacetum coccineum has scarlet-red flowers with a bright yellow center It grows 2 to 3 feet tall. Zone 3-7 Feverfew Marty Baldwin Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) is another popular Tanacetum species. It bears daisy-like flowers throughout the summer. The plant grows 2 feet tall. Zone 4-9 Double Feverfew King Au Tanacetum parthenium 'Plenum' is a double form of common feverfew. It bears clusters of white flowers with numerous petals all summer long. It grows 2 feet tall. Zone 4-9 Tansy Dean Schoeppner Tanacetum vulgare is a vigorous perennial that tolerates almost any kind of soil. It grows best in full sun but tolerates part shade. In mid- to late summer it bears button-like yellow flowers on its deep green foliage. The flowers attract butterflies. The plant grows 3 to 4 feet tall. Zone 4-9 Golden Tansy Marty Baldwin Tanacetum vulgare 'Isla Gold' shines in perennial borders with its fernlike golden foliage. Although it produces buttonlike yellow flower clusters in the summer, you may want to shear them off to allow the foliage to take center stage. This variety grows 2 to 3 feet tall. Zone 4-9 Painted Daisy Companion Plants Blue Bugloss Bob Stefko Blue bugloss might be hard to find in the garden center. Hop online to search out this easy-to-grow perennial with brilliant blue flowers. Closely related to borage, blue bugloss has airy bloom spikes in late spring. Wonderful for mass plantings, perennial borders, or an informal edging along a fence line, this clump-forming perennial will self-seed. Balloon Flower Marty Baldwin The inflated buds of balloon flowers make great cut flowers. Cut them in the bud stage and sear the base of the stems to prevent the milky sap from seeping out and fouling the water. Most commonly available in blue-violet, balloon flowers also come in pink and white, as well as shorter forms that are better suited for rock gardens and containers. In fall, the foliage of balloon flower turns clear gold, so don't cut the plant down too early. Zone 4-9 Phlox Jay Wilde Phlox is one of those bounteous summer flowers any large sunny flowerbed or border shouldn't be without. There are several different kinds of phlox. Garden and meadow phlox produce large panicles of fragrant flowers in a wide assortment of colors. They also add height, heft, and charm to a border. Low-growing wild Sweet William, moss pinks, and creeping phlox are effective as ground covers. Plant these phlox varieties at the front of the border, and as rock and wild garden plants, especially in light shade. Zone 3-8 Frequently Asked Questions Where are painted daisies native to? The plants are native to Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and Iran. What are the benefits of painted daisy? In addition to being deer-resistant and attracting butterflies, the foliage contains pyrethrins. These pesticides occur naturally in members of the Tanacetum genus and are found in over 2,000 registered pesticide products. So painted daisy comes with its very own pest repellant. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources Better Homes & Gardens is committed to using high-quality, reputable sources—including peer-reviewed studies—to support the facts in our articles. Read about our editorial policies and standards to learn more about how we fact check our content for accuracy. "Daisy." ASPCA. "Tanacetum coccineum." North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension.