James Kelway Painted Daisy

Tanacetum coccineum 'James Kelway'

flower

Painted daisy, also called pyrethrum, is a hardy perennial grown for its classic single daisies - James Kelway is a deep crimson-red - carried on wiry stems above finely divided, fern-like foliage. It blooms in early summer and is a wonderful long-stemmed cottage-garden cut flower. It has a place in the history of pyrethrum: its dried flower heads were the original "Persian insect powder" and contain pyrethrins, the botanical insecticide, though today's commercial pyrethrum comes from its more potent relative Tanacetum cinerariifolium. A cool-climate perennial that returns for years in well-drained soil.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• Becky Shasta Daisy — A taller white daisy that blooms alongside it in the same sunny, well-drained border for a layered daisy display
• Salvia — Upright spikes that support the wiry painted-daisy stems and contrast the red flowers
• Roses — Often interplanted among roses, where the pyrethrin-rich foliage is thought to help deter some insect pests

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

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

• Aphids →

  Occasionally bother young growth - rinse off and encourage ladybugs; the mature plant largely repels insects

• Leaf miners →

  Remove trailed leaves and clear old foliage at season end

• Root rot →

  Caused by wet soil - plant in sharply drained ground and avoid overwatering

🌸 Blooms & cutting

Painted daisy is a first-rate cut flower: cut the long wiry stems in the cool morning just as the blooms open, and they hold well in the vase. Deadheading spent flowers tidies the plant and can bring a modest second flush. The flower heads are also the traditional source of pyrethrum insecticide - some gardeners dry and grind them - but for most growers it is simply a beautiful, pest-resistant cutting daisy.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

Grown as an ornamental cut flower and, traditionally, as a source of the botanical insecticide pyrethrum. The open daisies provide nectar to bees and butterflies, while the pyrethrins in its flowers help it resist most garden pests.

⚠️ Toxicity & safety

The flowers of this Persian pyrethrum daisy contain pyrethrins, the natural insecticide. Pyrethrins are low in toxicity to people and dogs but are toxic to cats and highly toxic to fish, and the plant or its dried flower dust can irritate the skin, eyes, and airways of sensitive people. Keep cut or dried flowers away from cats and aquariums, and wear gloves if you handle or process the blooms.