How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Painted Daisy

The painted daisy, Tanacetum coccineum, has an interesting story. With vibrant colors of red, violet, pink, yellow, and white, it’s cheerful and bright. But it’s useful too! While it’s grown most commonly for its flowers, it’s also a natural insecticide source.

Today, we’re delving deep into the world of the pyrethrum daisy, also called the Persian pellitory or Persian insect flower; painted daisies are big bloomers. Coming from the Caucasus and western and central Asia, they’re sure to be a highlight in your garden. Once there, they’ll shower your bed with a rainbow of brilliant flowers!

What is a Painted Daisy?

From late spring sometimes well into fall, painted daisy brings delightful flowers. The stiff flower stalks feature frilly, almost fern-like leaves. Because of their sturdiness, the painted daisy is a fan favorite in cut flower displays.

Native Area

Tanacetum coccineum is native to the mountainous regions of Central Asia, particularly in areas around the Caucasus, northern Iran, and Afghanistan. These regions provide the painted daisy with ideal conditions like well-drained soils, moderate rainfall, and cooler temperatures. The species thrives in open, sunny habitats, often at higher altitudes, forming vibrant, colorful displays.

Due to its striking flowers and pest-repelling properties, it has been widely cultivated and naturalized in other parts of the world.

Characteristics

In the past, this lovely species was botanically classified as Chrysanthemum coccineum. It has since been renamed as a Tanacetum. A close relative, Tanacetum cinerarifolium, is the primary source of pyrethrins for insecticide.

But our painted daisy contains natural pyrethrins, too. It’s considered a poor substitute for the more potent T. cinerarifolium. Still, it can be an effective insecticide. The heads of the flower may be dried and crushed into a powder, which is then mixed with water. It won’t be as strong as the commercially derived insecticides. In a lab, they can extract the pyrethrin compounds in a purer form.

The flower heads tend to be two to three inches across, making them a vivid pop of color in garden settings. Beneath them, the delicate foliage provides a soft and lush green base. Fern-like is an excellent description of the leaf shape, as it’s soft, and feathery.

While perennial in zones 3-7, painted daisies are often grown as annuals in a much wider range. Zones 2-10 are common places to find this popular flowering plant in the right weather!

Varieties

Many cultivars of the painted daisy exist now. Each is slightly different, with a different bloom time or flower shade. While this is not an exhaustive list, the table below shows some of the most prized types!

Variety	Bloom Color	Bloom Time
‘Robinson Red’	Scarlet red, yellow center	Late spring to midsummer
‘James Kelway’	Deep scarlet, yellow center	Early to mid-summer
‘Brenda’	Magenta pink, yellow center	Early summer through fall
‘Eileen May Robinson’	Pale pink, yellow center	Early summer
‘Mrs. James Kelway’	White to pale pink, yellow center	Early to mid-summer
‘Mont Blanc’	Pure white, yellow center	Early to mid-summer
‘Robinson’s Mixture’	Mixed red, white and pink varieties	Early to mid-summer

Planting

Before planting painted daisy, choose a location that receives full sun to partial shade and has well-drained soil enriched with organic matter. Begin by loosening the soil to a depth of about 12 inches and mixing in compost or aged manure to improve fertility and drainage. Dig a hole slightly larger than your plant’s root ball, place it in the hole, and backfill with soil, gently firming it around the roots to eliminate air pockets.

Water well after planting to settle the soil and provide initial hydration. Space plants 12-18 inches apart to allow good air circulation. Mulch around the base to retain moisture and suppress weeds, but keep the mulch a few centimeters away from the stem to prevent rot.

How to Grow

Growing painted daisies is fairly simple. But, like all other plants, it has preferences. Ensuring the plant has what it needs will give you the best chance at a thriving, flowering beauty! Let’s go over those needs right now.

Light

While your painted daisies can tolerate full sun conditions, be careful. They aren’t fond of intense sunlight or heat, and the beautiful leaves can wilt. They’re best grown in full sun in zones 3-7. In hotter areas, opt for partial shade, especially in afternoon shade conditions. Dappled lighting will also work.

Water

Moderate watering is best for this plant. Avoid watering directly onto the foliage, as the fern-like leaves can suffer damage. Instead, opt for a soaker hose or drip irrigation system. Keep the soil moist, but not soggy. You should be able to feel dampness at least an inch under the soil’s surface.

Those in hotter climates may need to water more frequently. Water new transplants consistently. Once they are established, they are somewhat drought-tolerant. However, it’s best to opt for a consistent watering schedule for good growth.

Soil

Well-draining soil is a must for your pyrethrum daisy. A slightly acidic sandy soil is preferred, but it can grow in any soil that isn’t too heavy. Avoid hard clay soils, as the roots can find them difficult to penetrate.

Mulch around the base to maintain consistent soil moisture and to reduce weeds. Pine straw, wood chip, or leaf mulch is fine and will add to the soil’s organic content over time. This perennial prefers pH ranges from 5.2 to 7 (slightly acidic to neutral).

Temperature

Optimal temperatures for these daisies are temperate, but they can withstand cold down to -20°F (-29°C). A good mulch in the fall will keep their roots alive in winter. Choose a variety that suits your climate better for the ultimate results. You can also choose to grow these perennials as annuals and replace them each year.

Fertilizing

Fertilize early in the spring with a high phosphorus slow-release fertilizer. This should provide plenty of nutrition over its growing season. An annual application of compost in mid-spring can provide extra feed potential. Cover the compost with mulch to maintain good soil moisture.

Maintenance

After the first hard frost in the fall, remove and discard the foliage. If your area is prone to cold winters, add one to two extra inches of mulch in the winter to provide root protection. Evergreen boughs over the top of the base also provide extra protection.

In early spring, remove the extra mulch and boughs. Leave at least three to four inches of mulch around the base, but avoid covering the root crown. Once foliage begins to appear, allow it to grow until the first flower stalk starts to come up. Then, pinch back longer foliage to encourage bushing.

When the flowers are spent, cut back the flower stalk. If it stops flowering and it’s still in season, lightly trim it back. This can encourage another flush of blooming.

Propagation

Painted daisy propagation is from seeds, cuttings, or by division.

You should plan to sow directly into the garden from seed. Wait until all risk of frost has passed. Weed the area you plan to plant and loosen it the soil six to eight inches deep. If you’d like, work in some compost or other organic-rich material at this point. Broadcast your seed over the area evenly and cover them with eight inches of soil. Germination should take 10-20 days.

Cuttings are less reliable but are an option. Select a healthy cutting and dip the end into water, then a powdered rooting hormone. Place it into a prepared potting blend that’s well-draining and pre-moistened. Care for your cutting as you would other species, ensuring it stays moist until roots form.

For division, wait until the first new growth appears in spring. Dig large clumps of painted daisies from the ground, then examine them. You will want several growing “eyes” and many roots in each division. Cut them apart with a sharp garden knife, and remove dead parts. Replant your divisions immediately to prevent transplant shock.

You can also divide when they get overcrowded, start to lose strength and vigor, or when the blooms seem to be diminished in size and color. However, it’s best to divide in spring, when they have much more time to establish.

Common Problems

Most gardeners find painted daisies easy and enjoyable to grow. But a few problems might appear. Let’s go over those now and how to handle them!

Growing Problems

You may discover an issue the first year after starting seed or very young transplants. There aren’t as many flowers as you’d expect. This isn’t a problem, per se, but is more of a matter of maturity. In its second year, your painted daisy will provide a flurry of flowers, but there will be less in its first year.

If they’re over-watered, the tall flower stems have a tendency to flop over. Try to ensure consistent soil moisture, and wait for the top inch of soil to dry out before watering again. The flopping isn’t hazardous, but it’s also not very appealing!

If it’s hot, they can and do wilt in direct sunlight. If you’re in a hot environment, try to provide afternoon shade.

Pests

One might assume that because pyrethrin is made from these perennials, they’d be pest-free. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. You may find a few pests… and ironically, pyrethrin spray may be a good way to fix the problem.

Aphids are a constant problem in most gardens. To deter these, a good spraying of neem oil on all leaf surfaces will suffice. That neem oil or an insecticidal soap can also eliminate the ones that do persist.

Leafhoppers are a less-common pest, but can appear and cause sucking pest damage. These are best treated with a more powerful pyrethrin spray.

Thrips may appear on the flowers themselves. The huge center of the flower is particularly appealing! If you find them there, use an insecticidal soap to get rid of them.

All of the above are fairly rare on your painted daisies. But there is one pest which is common there. Spider mites, irritating little pests that they are, love to call painted daisies home. Use neem oil to wipe them out.

Diseases

In humid environments, powdery mildew is fairly common. This whitish, dusty-looking disease appears on the leaves of plants. While it’s not fatal, it can prevent the perennial from absorbing sunlight properly. Use neem oil to treat outbreaks, and avoid watering from above.

An unusual “disease” of sorts is fasciation, sometimes called cresting. Occasionally caused by bacterial infection, fasciation is not fatal. It causes elongation in flowers, making the center a long oval instead of a circle. It can cause stems to flatten out and become ribbon-like. It’s not curable, as it causes changes to the plant’s tissue. If it worries you, remove plant material to avoid spreading to non-fasciated plants.

Botrytis cinerea can cause greyish spores to form on your plant’s leaves. It can be very tricky to treat, so it’s best to prevent it. Avoid overhead watering and ensure that they are not densely packed together. Separate tight clumps as needed. For treatment information, we’ve got an entire piece on treating botrytis cinerea.

Extremely wet or soggy soils can create conditions that help fungal root rot to form. To avoid these, ensure your soil is well-draining. If necessary, work perlite or coarse sand into your soil to aid in good drainage. Adding more organic material can assist as well.

Frequently Asked Questions