Hortus Botanicus Leiden, Netherlands

Common name: Madeliefje, Meizoentje, Common daisy

Family: Asteraceae subfam. Asteroideae (Aster family)

Distribution: Europe, West Asia

Life form: Perennial

Usage: Medicinal

Comments: Daisies form a rosette of bright green, spatula-shaped leaves with a clear main vein. The plants have scattered hairs. The leaves are usually around 5 centimeters long. Buds in some leafaxils can grow to become new rosettes, this is how the daisies can spread with mats without setting seeds. The inflorescence is found on a single leafless stem. The flowerheads have two rows of green bracts underneath. The flowerheads have both tube and lint flowers.
Because the plants only form leaf rosettes, its habitat needs to be kept low and open for there to be enough light. Daisies flower throughout the year, but can be less present in times of drought or frost. The lintflowers can have pink or reddish tips. In June of 2023, the daisy was elected as the national flower of the Netherlands.