Becky Shasta Daisy

Leucanthemum x superbum 'Becky'

flower

Becky is the gold-standard Shasta daisy and a former Perennial Plant of the Year, beloved because it does what other Shastas struggle to do: stand tall without staking and shrug off summer heat and humidity. It forms a clump of glossy dark-green leaves topped by rigid 3 to 4 ft stems, each carrying 3 to 4 inch flowers of pure white rays around a bright yellow center disk. Bloom runs for many weeks in mid to late summer, and the long sturdy stems make it one of the best cutting daisies for a vase. A dependable, long-lived border perennial that anchors a sunny bed.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• Purple Coneflower — A matching-height summer perennial that blooms alongside it and shares the same full-sun, well-drained border
• Salvia — Spiky violet-blue flowers contrast the round white daisies and draw in bees and hummingbirds
• Bee Balm — A pollinator magnet that enjoys the same sun and feeds bees and butterflies through the daisy bloom

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

• Aphids →

  Rinse colonies off new growth with water and encourage ladybugs; avoid excess nitrogen that fuels soft growth

• Leaf miners →

  Pick off and destroy leaves with winding tan trails, and clear spent foliage at season end

• Verticillium wilt and leaf spot →

  Plant in well-drained soil, water at the base rather than overhead, space for airflow, and remove affected stems

🌸 Blooms & cutting

For the vase, cut stems in the cool morning when flowers have just fully opened but the centers are still tight, and strip the lower leaves; they last about a week in water. Deadhead regularly through the season to keep new buds coming, then shear the whole plant back to its low rosette of leaves after flowering. The basal foliage stays evergreen in mild winters.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

Grown as an ornamental and pollinator plant - the open daisies are an easy landing pad for bees and butterflies, and the long stiff stems make it one of the best white cut flowers for arrangements.