Bellis perennis: planting, care & the most beautiful Bellis varieties

Bellis perennis decorate our garden beds, flower pots and balcony boxes with their differently shaped and coloured flower heads.

Bellis perennis are closely related to our native daisy. The spring-flowering plant is a popular ornamental and provides colourful spots in the garden. You can read all about planting and caring for Bellis perennis here.

Bellis perennis: Origin and characteristics

Daisies (Bellis perennis), also known as bellis, belong botanically to the daisy family (Asteraceae). Bellis is native to almost all of Europe and prefers to grow in meadows and pastures with nutrient-rich, well-drained, moist, loamy soils. Strictly speaking, the colourful, large-flowered bellis is the cultivated form of the daisy. These are often biennial ornamental plants that have been very heavily cultivated and therefore bear little resemblance to the original wild form. Some varieties have single, small flowers. Cultivated Bellis flowers are usually double. What they have in common, however, are the capitulum flowers typical of composite plants, which grow up to 7 cm in size and are attached to a 15 to 20 cm long stem. The fertile tubular flowers inside are yellow. The ray florets – in the wild form in two rows only – around the outside, can be white, pink, red, purple or variegated. In the first year the plant forms flat leaf rosettes with dark green leaves, followed by flowering in the second year. This extends from early spring in February until late autumn. Pollination is mainly done by insects such as flies and bees. They can also reproduce vegetatively via daughter rosettes. Bellis always orient their flowers towards the sun, just like the sunflower (Helianthus). At cool temperatures and at night the flowers close. This herbaceous spring-flowering plant is ideal for borders, decorative bed edging and for bowls and tubs on balconies and terraces.

Tip: Bellis have very different names depending on the region. They are also known as daisies, Bellis perennis, English daisy, or marguerite. The name “daisy” probably comes from “day’s eye”, because the whole head closes at night and opens in the morning.

Bellis perennis-beautiful planting partners: Also in combination with other spring-flowering plants such as daffodils (narcissus spec.), wild pansies (Viola × wittrockiana), horned violets (Viola cornuta), primulas (Primula spec.) and tulips (Tulipa spec.) add colour to the spring garden.

The most beautiful Bellis varieties

There is a wide range of different Bellis varieties. Here we have listed some popular varieties for you:

• ‘Alba Plena’: White, double flower
• ‘Enorma’: Extremely long stems
• ‘Floro Pleno’: Densely double, red flowers

• ‘Habanera’: Filigree, large, double, white flower with pink tips

• ‘Kito’: Cherry pink flowers
• ‘Pomponette’: Densely double, small, white, pink or red flowers

• ‘Radar’: White, large flowers
• ‘Robella’: Densely double, salmon pink flower
• ‘Rob Roy’: Double, red flowers

Planting Bellis perennis: When and where?

Bellis perennis do well in a warm, sunny or semi-shady position. The plants do not tolerate high summer heat well. The soil should be loamy, humus-rich, fresh and well-drained. Lean garden soil is enriched with compost before the bellis are planted in it. For pot culture, a potting soil such as our Plantura Organic Flower Compost is best suited. The peat-free soil contains, among other things, quality compost, coconut and wood fibres as well as crushed expanded clay and thus excellently meets the requirements of the Bellis perennis.

The cultivation of Bellis perennis is done as follows:

• Sowing for outdoor cultivation takes place between June and July, and for greenhouse cultivation in August.
• As seed density we recommend 1 g seed per m².
• Bellis perennis is a light germinator, so the seed is not covered with soil.
• During germination, the seeds should always be kept slightly moist.
• The optimal germination temperature is 18 °C, so germination takes 1 to 2 weeks.
• After the seed has germinated, the plantlets can be separated into small clumps at a distance of 10 cm.
• In September, the plants are then planted in their final location, either in the bed or in the pot. A planting distance of 20 cm should be maintained.
• Bellis only flower in the second year. This requires flower induction through short, cool days. For this reason, the plants should not be overprotected, but should only spend the winter just frost-free. In order to be able to marvel at the flowering of the plants every year, they have to be resown every year.

Tip: Bellis perennis are also available ready-grown in specialist garden shops or supermarkets. These plants can then be easily planted in spring. As these specimens have been pre-grown in a greenhouse, they are extremely sensitive to cool temperatures and therefore need extra protection.

Bellis care tips

Like their wild relatives – the common daisies – Bellis perennis grow almost everywhere. With the right care, they provide a lush sea of flowers as early as spring.

Watering and fertilising bellis

Never allow Bellis perennis to dry out. They should therefore be watered regularly. Water more often in small amounts rather than large amounts of water at once.

As soon as the new growth phase starts in spring, the Bellis perennis should be fertilised with an organic liquid fertiliser. Our Plantura Liquid Flower Food is suitable here. This organic liquid fertiliser can be easily applied via the irrigation water and provides a balanced nutrient formula for abundant flowering throughout the season. Fertilise your daisy regularly every 2 to 3 weeks, but stop fertilising in winter.

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Pruning Bellis perennis

Pruning takes place after flowering. To extend the flowering period and limit self-seeding of the plants, the stems with the faded flowers can be cut off.

Diseases and pests

Bellis perennis are susceptible to mildew, grey mould (Botrytis cinerea), root rot and aphids (Aphidoidea). As soon as such a disease is detected, it is important to act quickly to prevent it from spreading. It is best to dispose of infested plant parts or even the entire plant immediately in the household waste. Root rot often occurs as a result of too frequent watering, when the roots stand in water for a longer period of time.

Bellis hang their heads: What can be done?

If the bellis suddenly hang their heads, they are probably suffering from a lack of water. Water the daisies thoroughly or place the flowers briefly in a water bath and the bellis will soon rear their heads. Another cause of bellis drooping their heads is root rot. This is caused by bacteria and favoured by waterlogged conditions. If the flower heads are drooping, the first thing to do is to check the moisture of the planting soil and then possibly change the watering rhythm or even the planting container.

Are Bellis hardy?

Bellis perennis are only hardy to a limited extent and therefore need protection from bare frost to survive the winter outdoors well. For outdoor bellis, it is a good idea to simply cover the plants with coniferous brushwood or straw. For potted plants, it is best to wrap the planter with a jute bag or bubble wrap so that the root ball does not freeze through. Then put the pot outside in a sheltered, dry place. Bellis are hardy up to -15 °C in dry air. Even with optimal overwintering, the individual Bellis plants cannot grow persistently for many years. A perennial culture is only made possible by vegetative propagation through daughter rosettes. Fortunately, the Bellis usually does this all by itself.

Propagation

The easiest way to propagate Bellis is by division. This is best done directly after flowering. Dig up the plant and carefully divide it into individual rosettes. Afterwards, the small Bellis can be planted out in any place.
An alternative is sowing, provided seeds have been set – this will not happen with the double flowering varieties. It can be sown directly in the open as early as May, but better in June or July. To do this, sow the seeds very flat in rows, as the Bellis perennis is a light germinator. In addition, the seeds should always be kept slightly moist. When the bellis are large enough, they are separated into small clumps. A distance of 10 cm should be kept between them. In September, the flowers are then transplanted to their final location.

Tip: If Bellis are propagated as described above, they will not flower until the following year, as they are biennials. If the seeds are grown on the windowsill in February, they will flower in the same year – although this is often less abundant.

Are Bellis perennis poisonous?

Bellis perennis are slightly poisonous. In small quantities, the stalk and flowers are harmless, whereas if larger quantities are eaten, symptoms of poisoning can occur. Toxic components in the flower are flavone and cosmosiin, in the stem and leaves it is mainly saponins. In case of poisoning, symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea as well as seizures occur. Seek medical attention for these symptoms of poisoning and drink plenty of tea and water. A dose of charcoal also counteracts the poisoning.

In addition to bellis, aster are popular plants that accentuate our garden with their bright flowers throughout the growing season.