White daisies with yellow centers and leafy stems growing in a mulched bed beside a sidewalk.
Flower stems and foliage beside a garden path.Photo supplied by jennyzhuang.
A broad planting of white daisies beside a raised stone border in front of a house.
White daisies in a broad garden border.Photo supplied by jennyzhuang.
Overhead view of white Shasta daisy flowers with yellow centers, green leaves, and unopened buds.
White petals surround yellow centers, with unopened buds among the green leaves. Photo: jennyzhuang. All rights reserved.
White Shasta daisy flowers with yellow centers and green leaves above a pale container beside a window.
Photo: jennyzhuang. Original photograph; all rights reserved. Cultivar unspecified. This guide has a Becky garden-bed plan and a separate Snowcap container option; these photographs do not verify either named cultivar or the outcome of either plan. The photographs show flower form, not the result of this garden-bed plan.
4 photos · Swipe or scroll →

White daisies in two garden settings. The pictured cultivars are unconfirmed; this guide distinguishes a Becky garden-bed plan from a separate Snowcap container option.

These Shasta daisies were photographed by jennyzhuang. The pictured cultivar is unspecified; use a plant labeled ‘Becky’ for the garden-bed plan or ‘Snowcap’ for the separate container option. The photos do not establish either named cultivar or the outcome of either plan.

Plant Care Steps · Growing guideplantcaresteps.com/plants/shasta-daisy/

Flowers · A sunny garden border with room for a tall clump

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shasta daisy.

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Leucanthemum × superbum ‘Becky’

This plan is for Becky Shasta daisy in a garden bed

Light: Choose a spot with at least 6 hours of direct sun.

Planting steps ↓

YOUR SIMPLE GROWING PLAN

One garden plant. Here’s the plan.

Growing in a pot? Go to the compact Snowcap container plan ↓. The main steps below are for Becky in a garden bed.

What you need · pot, mix & supplies
  • 1 labeled ‘Becky’ Shasta daisy nursery plant
  • A sunny 4 × 4 ft garden patch with good drainage
  • A trowel, watering can or hose, and clean garden snips

The soil

Average garden soil that drains freely

Before you start Start in mild spring weather in a sunny, freely draining garden bed. ‘Becky’ is listed for USDA zones 4–9; avoid soggy winter soil.

Is this your plant? The main recipe is for Leucanthemum × superbum ‘Becky’ in a bed. For a patio pot, use the separate Snowcap option below and match that cultivar label. Neither is wild oxeye daisy.

A sunny garden border with room for a tall clump. Start with nursery plant.

THE SPACE48 in. between plants

Reserve a 4 × 4 ft patch for one plant. If repeating, measure 4 ft from center to center. This is a roomy layout, not a minimum.

HOW MANY1 nursery plant

Choose a plant labeled ‘Becky’. It is a tall Shasta daisy, not a compact pot variety or wild oxeye daisy.

See the planting illustration
Illustrated starting setup: 48 in. between plants; 1 nursery plant.
48 in. between plants · 1 nursery plant Reserve a 4 × 4 ft patch for one plant. If repeating, measure 4 ft from center to center. This is a roomy layout, not a minimum. Choose a plant labeled ‘Becky’. It is a tall Shasta daisy, not a compact pot variety or wild oxeye daisy. Original illustration; not to scale.
  1. 01

    Pick the spot before buying

    Mark a 4 × 4 ft patch in a sunny border. Avoid low ground where water stands after rain. ‘Becky’ can reach about 3–4 ft tall, so place it behind shorter flowers.

  2. 02

    Keep the nursery soil level

    Water the nursery pot before planting. Dig a hole wide enough for the root ball and set its surface level with the surrounding ground. Backfill gently; do not bury the leafy base.

  3. 03

    Soak the root ball, then check

    Water slowly after planting so the original root ball and surrounding soil are moist. Check the root ball regularly through the first growing season, especially during dry or windy weather. Water when it starts drying; skip still-wet soil.

  4. 04

    Snip off finished flowers

    Remove faded flower heads as you notice them. This can encourage another flush. Once a stem has finished flowering, cut it back to the low leaves and leave those green leaves in place.

Other ways to start
Divide an established ‘Becky’+

In spring as new growth begins, lift an overcrowded clump and split it into smaller rooted sections. Keep healthy growing points on each piece, discard a dead center, and replant promptly at the same depth. Division keeps the named plant’s characteristics.

Choose seed as a different project+

Seed-grown Shasta daisies are available, but a generic seed packet is not a reliable way to reproduce ‘Becky’. For this exact plan, buy a labeled nursery plant or divide an established ‘Becky’. Follow a seed strain’s own packet for sowing and final spacing.

YOUR EVERYDAY ROUTINE

Becky garden-bed care at a glance.

Water when
Keep a new root ball from drying out. Once established, water when the top 2 inches of soil are dry. Wet the root zone slowly; wait if rain has kept it moist.
Fertilizer
No added fertilizer for this starting plan
Amount
None
What that amount covers
No fertilizer dose to calculate.
How often to feed
No routine feeding.
When to start or pause
Start in average garden soil. For weak growth, check sun, drainage, and crowding; use a soil test before choosing fertilizer.
See the watering & feeding illustrations
A soil check followed by slow root watering and waiting if moist.
Check before watering. Keep a new root ball from drying out. Once established, water when the top 2 inches of soil are dry. Wet the root zone slowly; wait if rain has kept it moist. Original illustration; not to scale.
Fertilizer measure for Shasta daisy: None. No fertilizer dose to calculate.
None No fertilizer dose to calculate. No routine feeding. Start in average garden soil. For weak growth, check sun, drainage, and crowding; use a soil test before choosing fertilizer. Original illustration; not to scale.
Summer flowers and mature clump size
03 / WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

Expect white flowers with yellow centers in summer, sometimes continuing into early fall. ‘Becky’ is a clump-forming perennial, commonly around 3–4 ft tall in flower. Published spreads vary; the Perennial Plant Association lists about 40 inches. The 4-ft space in this recipe gives that mature clump room. A new plant may take a growing season to fill out.

Spring planting and winter drainage

Mild spring weather is the simplest time to start, once the ground is workable and drains well. The Perennial Plant Association and Monrovia list ‘Becky’ for USDA zones 4–9. Early-fall planting can work where roots have time to establish before winter; avoid planting just before the ground freezes.

For regional planting windows, find your local Cooperative Extension office ↗.

Something looking off?

Does Shasta daisy come back every year?+

‘Becky’ is a perennial, so a healthy plant can return after winter. It is not permanent: crowded clumps can lose vigor and benefit from division. Wet winter soil can kill the crown even where temperatures are within its hardiness range.

Why is my Shasta daisy not flowering?+

Check that it receives enough sun and that the clump is not overcrowded. A newly planted or recently divided plant may be settling in. Excess fertilizer can produce soft leafy growth; do not add a bloom booster automatically.

Can I grow Shasta daisies in a patio pot?+

Yes: choose a compact plant labeled ‘Snowcap’ and use the separate pot plan below. It starts with one plant in a draining 6-US-gallon pot about 12 inches deep. Monrovia lists Snowcap at 10–14 inches tall and about 12 inches wide. The main garden recipe is still for tall ‘Becky’; its spacing and no-routine-feed advice are not the Snowcap pot recipe.

How often should I water a potted Shasta daisy?+

Check the mix daily in warm weather. Keep a newly planted nursery root ball from drying through. Once it is established, water when the top 1–2 inches of mix begin to dry, wetting the root zone until excess drains. Empty the saucer and wait while the mix is moist. Checking daily does not mean watering daily.

Does the Snowcap pot need fertilizer straight away?+

Not with fresh, pre-fertilized mix. Follow the starter-feed directions on your bag first. When supplemental food is needed during active growth, this pot option uses US Miracle-Gro Water Soluble All Purpose 24-8-16 at 1 level tablespoon per US gallon every 14 days. Use only enough solution to water the pot. Do not combine it with another feeding program or feed a dormant or stressed plant.

Can I leave the Snowcap pot outdoors all winter?+

Its garden hardiness rating does not guarantee that roots survive in an exposed pot. In freezing regions, sink the pot into garden soil before the ground freezes, or move it once dormant to a sheltered, unheated space that stays about 30–40°F. A garage is suitable only if its temperature stays in that range. Check moisture occasionally; keep the roots from drying completely without leaving them soggy.

Is this the same as oxeye daisy?+

No. Look for Leucanthemum × superbum ‘Becky’ on the tag. Oxeye daisy is Leucanthemum vulgare. Washington’s weed board specifically lists ‘Becky’ as an alternative to invasive oxeye daisy; that local recommendation is not a claim that every daisy is suitable everywhere.

After flowering, winter care, and division
Keep the green base after flowering

After flowering, shorten finished stems to the low leafy base. Keep healthy green basal leaves. Clear old dead foliage before spring growth, and keep mulch away from the crown. Freely draining soil is the main winter requirement; a soggy crown needs a better site, not extra fertilizer.

Divide an older clump in spring

Check an older clump every 2–3 years. A dead middle, crowded growth, or fewer flowers can signal time to divide; leave a vigorous clump alone. In early spring, dig it up, keep healthy outer sections with roots and shoots, and discard the dead center. Replant with the crowns at soil level and water them in.

One compact Snowcap Shasta daisy in a pot

A SEPARATE PATIO-POT OPTION

Choose Leucanthemum × superbum ‘Snowcap’: 10–14 inches tall and about 12 inches wide, according to Monrovia. The garden-bed plan is for taller Becky.

1 plant · 1 draining pot

6 US gallons; about 12 inches deep. A roomy starting choice, not a tested minimum.

1 bag of potting mix

US Miracle-Gro Organic Potting Mix, 1 cu. ft. Save any spare; do not use garden soil.

Plant in sun

Give at least 6 hours of direct sun. Moisten the mix, keep the crown at the nursery soil level, and leave 1 inch below the rim. Water through and empty the saucer.

Check before watering

Check daily in warm weather; keep a new root ball from drying through. Once established, water when the top 1–2 inches begin drying, until excess drains. Wait if moist.

One compact Snowcap Shasta daisy in a six-US-gallon pot about twelve inches deep, with drainage holes, potting mix, and one inch of watering headspace.
Check daily, not water daily. Original schematic; not a growing-trial photograph.

Feed after the starter nutrients

No extra fertilizer at planting. Follow the mix bag’s starter-feed directions; “up to 2 months” is not a fixed timer.

When supplemental food is needed during active growth: Miracle-Gro Water Soluble All Purpose, US 24-8-16, 1 level tablespoon per 1 US gallon, every 14 days. This uses the labeled outdoor strength and the slower end of its 7–14-day interval.

After starter feeding, mix one level tablespoon of US Miracle-Gro Water Soluble All Purpose 24-8-16 in one US gallon of water; use only enough to water the Snowcap pot.
Use only enough solution to wet the root zone and drain. The gallon is a mixing batch. Illustration, not retail packaging.

Pause for wet mix, wilting, heat stress or dormancy. Rewet dry roots with plain water first; do not combine feeds. The added 24-8-16 is not organic.

Flowers and winter

Remove faded flowers; keep healthy leaves and buds. In freezing regions, sink the pot into soil before the ground freezes, or move it after dormancy to an unheated space staying 30–40°F. Measure the temperature. In mild spells, check and water unfrozen mix only as needed. No dormant-season fertilizer; garden hardiness does not guarantee exposed-pot survival.

Sources: Monrovia Snowcap; container sizes; container care; feeding; winter protection; manufacturers above. Editorial recipe, not a cultivar trial. Checked September 29, 2026.

Contributed photographs have no confirmed cultivar label. They are not identified as Snowcap or evidence of this pot recipe.

What to cut after flowering
After flowering, cut the finished tall stems above the low green leaves; keep those living basal leaves in place.
Remove faded heads; cut finished stems above the low leafy base. Keep healthy green basal leaves. The line is not a fixed cutting height.

Care basis: the Perennial Plant Association’s Becky profile. Original teaching schematic by Plant Care Steps; not a plant-identification image.

Help with your next step.

Sources, dates & detailed PDF

Editorial plans, not results from a Plant Care Steps growing trial. Compiled with AI assistance; they have not yet had an independent horticultural review. Editorial approach.

Something needs updating? Suggest a correction

Published · Updated

By jennyzhuang

Sources checked View sources ↗

Detailed PDF ↓

Full reference edition with expanded explanations and illustrations. Its publication dates appear in the file.

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Published · Updated

Read the online Sources section for linked references and the full reference PDF.

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Plant Care Steps · Care card

Shasta daisy

Leucanthemum × superbum ‘Becky’

Water
Keep a new root ball from drying out. Once established, water when the top 2 inches of soil are dry. Wet the root zone slowly; wait if rain has kept it moist.
Light
Likes full sun. Choose a spot with at least 6 hours of direct sun.
Temperature
Summer flowers, returns yearly. A sunny garden border with room for a tall clump
Common problems
Does Shasta daisy come back every year. ‘Becky’ is a perennial, so a healthy plant can return after winter. It is not permanent: crowded clumps can lose vigor and benefit from division. Wet winter soil can kill the crown even where temperatures are within its hardiness range.