Oxeye Daisy
Leucanthemum vulgare
Last updated
Washington State Classification
Class C — Widespread, County-Selected Control
Class C - control required only where selected by a county weed board. Changed from Class B to Class C in 2013 due to widespread distribution.
Quick Reference
Identification
Growth Habit
Oxeye daisy is a perennial herbaceous plant that reaches 1 to 3 feet tall. It has shallow, branched rhizomes and adventitious roots. The entire plant has a disagreeable odor when crushed.
Leaves
Leaves are alternate and lance shaped with coarse teeth or lobes. Basal leaves with petiole (leaf stalk) and stems leaves become sessile (no stalk) and smaller in size moving up the stem.
Flowers
Single flowerheads at the ends of stems have brown-edged, green bracts at their base. Each ‘daisy’ is a cluster of many flowers, the ray flowers are white and look like petals. The disk flowers are small and yellow and make up the center.
Fruit & Seeds
Seeds are small and have 10 small ridges.
Root System
Shallow, branched rhizomes with adventitious roots. Rhizomes allow vegetative spread and regrowth after mowing.
Impact
Forms dense monocultures that displace native grasses and wildflowers, reducing plant species diversity. Decreases crop yields and is documented as a weed of 13 crops in 40 countries. Particularly problematic in pastures and meadows. Can carry several crop diseases.
Economic Impact
Reduces pasture and hay quality. Livestock generally avoid grazing it, leading to further spread in grazed fields. Can reduce property values in meadow and grassland settings.
Ecology & Spread
Habitat
Oxeye daisy is found in grasslands, overgrazed pastures, waste areas, meadows, railroad rights-of-way and roadsides. Please click here to see a county level distribution map of oxeye daisy in Washington.
Spread Mechanisms
Reproduction
seed, rhizome
Control Methods
Prevent seed set as first priority; exhaust rhizome reserves through repeated removal over multiple seasons. Revegetate with competitive native grasses.
Mechanical
- method: "Mowing
Cultural / Prevention
- method: "Maintain dense, competitive turf or native grass cover
Biological Control
- agent: "Oidaematophorus nebulosa (tephritid fly)
Widespread throughout the Puget Sound lowlands in roadsides, meadows, and disturbed sites. Common in unmaintained pastures and along highway corridors. Often introduced inadvertently through wildflower seed mixes. Clay soils in the Kent valley do not deter establishment. Present in every western Washington county.