Daisies - the “friendliest flower”

“Friendly” Daisies, up close / Anacortes, WA / August 2016

In the title, the description  of Daisies comes from one of my favorite movies, "You’ve Got Mail." That line so readily brings to mind Meg Ryan’s movie character and also embodies the wonderful “enchanting” roles for which I love Meg Ryan. 

I have always viewed Daisies as such an ordinary flower so I embrace them as the “friendliest flower” to reframe my mind’s image!

From my great college horticulture class, I know the Daisy is in the Compositae (Asteraceae) family. The family Compositae gets its name from its flower which is a “composite” of a group of tiny flowers or a “compound inflorescence." Many flowers, beyond the flower in the movie, are considered to be Daisies. I believe most people envision an Oxeye Daisy when they picture one. 

Ground cover / Aiea Heights, HI / November 2016

I have not personally seen Daisies growing in Hawai’i. But we do have a few low lowing Compositae family members. One is a very familiar ground cover.

Flowers, up close / Aiea Heights, HI / November 2016

Yellow flowers, ornamental / Aiea Heights, HI / October 2016 

Another yellow flower looks very similar but it is a different species as the leaves are quite different and delicate. Even the petals around the inflorescence are quite different.

In a yard in Hawai’i, I was pleased to see a Gerbera bed. They are so beautiful, and “friendly,” in a yard.

Gerbera daisies, up close / Aiea Heights, HI / November 2016

Gerbera daisies/ Aiea Heights, HI / November 2016

In college, I remember also learning that a study was being done to try to improve, and then popularize, this flower as a cut flower.  

Yellow flowered weed / Guemes Channel Trail, WA / August 2016 

Yellow flowered weed, up close / Guemes Channel Trail, WA / August 2016

This summer in Washington state, I found a number of Compositae flowers. 

Two of them, both “weeds,” look like our yellow flowered Compositae plants found in Hawai’i. 

Dandelion? / Guemes Channel Trail, WA / August 2016

One very possibly could be the very familiar Dandelion. It is hard to believe that the puffy white inflorescence that blows in the wind begins as a simple yellow flower. Again although the two look similar if you look at the center, they are not the same flower or plant.

Dandelion? / Guemes Channel Trail, WA / August 2016

Large Daisy family flowers / Anacortes, WA / August 2016

The rest of the photos are of variations on the Oxeye Daisy. I believe one may be a Shasta Daisy because of the large size of the flowers. I love the very fluffy ones!

Fluffy Daisy family flowers, up close / Anacortes, WA / August 2016

Fluffy Daisy family flowers / Anacortes, WA / August 2016

Coneflower, up close / Anacortes, WA / August 2016 

I would identify the final one as a Coneflower due to the appearance and the location of the “head” of the flower. I am not able to tell which one but I did learn that Coneflowers are Echinacea. These ornamentals were outside commercial venues and certainly highlighted the walkways in a lovely way!

Keep “watching out for nature!” See if you can find some other Compositae flowers and maybe even the “friendliest flower.”