Plant with Daisy Flowers — White and Cream Varieties That Will Transform Your Garden
There is something quietly magical about a daisy. It is one of those flowers that manages to feel both wildly natural and elegantly refined at the same time. Whether it is nodding along a meadow path or arranged in a terracotta pot on a sun-drenched patio, the daisy captures a kind of cheerful simplicity that almost no other flower can replicate. And when you narrow the palette down to white and cream tones, something even more special happens. Those soft, luminous petals seem to glow in morning light, pair beautifully with every other garden color, and bring a timeless, almost romantic quality to any planting scheme.
This guide is for anyone who wants to grow plants with daisy-style flowers in white or cream. Whether you are a seasoned gardener looking to refine your color palette, a beginner searching for something reliable and rewarding, or someone designing a wedding garden, a sensory space, or a cottage-style border, you will find plenty here to inspire and inform your choices.
What Makes a Daisy a Daisy?
Before diving into specific plants, it helps to understand what we mean when we talk about “daisy flowers.” Most people picture a central disc — usually yellow, green, or brown — surrounded by a ring of radiating petals called ray florets. This structure is characteristic of plants in the Asteraceae family, one of the largest flowering plant families in the world.
The Asteraceae family is enormous and includes everything from sunflowers and chamomile to rudbeckias and zinnias. When we talk about white and cream daisy flowers specifically, we are looking at a large and varied group of plants that share this same basic floral architecture while varying widely in height, hardiness, growth habit, and seasonal behavior. Some are perennials that return year after year; others are annuals that bloom intensely for a single season. Some are low ground-hugging plants while others reach shoulder height. All of them share that clean, open-faced flower that makes them so irresistible.
Why Choose White and Cream Daisy Flowers for Your Garden?
White and cream are often underestimated in the garden. Some gardeners gravitate toward bold pinks, purples, and oranges, and it is easy to see why — those colors are exciting and immediate. But white and cream bring something different and, in many ways, more versatile to the mix.
First, white flowers act as natural harmonizers. They separate and soften the relationship between clashing colors in a border, allowing bold purples and warm oranges to coexist without competing. Garden designer Gertrude Jekyll was famous for using white flowers this way in her legendary borders, threading them through the composition to bring unity and calm.
Second, white and cream flowers are extraordinarily effective in low light. They seem to catch and hold the light at dusk, remaining visible in the garden long after colored flowers have faded into shadow. If you like to sit outside in the evenings, a garden planted with white daisies takes on an almost ethereal quality as the day winds down.
Third, from a practical standpoint, white flowers photograph beautifully. If you document your garden on social media or simply enjoy having photographs of your outdoor space, white and cream daisies will reward you with stunning, high-contrast images in almost any light.
Finally, white and cream daisy flowers are extremely easy to combine with other plants. They work with every color scheme, from a cool blue-and-white scheme to a warm cream-and-gold palette, and they complement both silvery foliage and deep green leaves with equal grace.
Top Plants with White and Cream Daisy Flowers
Shasta Daisy (Leucanthemum x superbum)
If there is one plant that most people picture when they imagine a white daisy, it is the Shasta daisy. Developed in the early twentieth century by horticulturist Luther Burbank in the Shasta region of California, this hybrid perennial combines some of the best traits of several wild daisy species into a robust, long-blooming garden plant.
Shasta daisies produce large, classic white flowers with prominent yellow centers on tall, sturdy stems. They typically bloom from late spring through early summer, with some varieties offering a second flush of flowers if deadheaded regularly. The flowers can be single, semi-double, or fully double depending on the cultivar, giving you plenty of options.
Notable white and cream varieties include ‘Alaska,’ a classic single-flowered variety that reaches about 60–90 cm in height and is extremely reliable; ‘Snowcap,’ a more compact variety ideal for containers and the front of borders; and ‘Wirral Supreme,’ a beloved double-flowered variety with a beautiful, frilly center that lends an almost chrysanthemum-like elegance to the bloom.
Shasta daisies thrive in full sun and well-drained soil. They are hardy perennials in most temperate climates and will come back reliably each year with minimal fuss. Dividing clumps every two or three years keeps them vigorous and prevents the center of the plant from dying out, which is a common issue with aging clumps.
Ox-Eye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare)
If Shasta daisies represent the garden-bred, cultivated end of the spectrum, ox-eye daisies are their wild, meadow-loving cousins. Native to Europe and widely naturalized across North America and other temperate regions, the ox-eye daisy is perhaps the most recognizable wildflower in the daisy family.
Smaller than Shasta daisies, with flowers typically 3–5 cm across, ox-eye daisies make up for their modest size with an abundance of blooms. A single plant can produce dozens of flowers throughout late spring and early summer, and a patch of them in full bloom is one of the most exuberant sights a garden can offer.
Ox-eye daisies are ideal for wildflower meadows, naturalistic plantings, and cottage gardens. They self-seed freely, which some gardeners love and others find challenging, but careful deadheading can keep spreading in check if that is a concern. They are also excellent for supporting pollinators, as their open flowers are highly accessible to bees, hoverflies, and butterflies.
The white petals of the ox-eye daisy are not stark white but carry a very slight warmth that tips toward cream in certain lights, particularly as the flower matures. This gives them a soft, vintage quality that feels right at home in naturalistic or heritage-style garden designs.
Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium)
Feverfew is one of those plants that bridges the gap between ornamental and medicinal gardening. Used historically to treat headaches and fever — hence the name — it is also a genuinely lovely garden plant, producing a froth of small, white-petaled flowers with cheerful yellow centers throughout summer and into early autumn.
The plant forms bushy mounds of finely divided, aromatic foliage that smells distinctly herbal when brushed or crushed. The flowers are small but produced in great profusion, creating a cloud of white that works wonderfully as a soft filler among bolder plants in a border.
‘White Bonnet’ and ‘Snowball’ are double-flowered forms that produce button-like, fully white flowers with no visible yellow center — a striking and unusual look that has a slightly old-fashioned, almost Victorian charm. ‘Golden Moss’ is a variety grown partly for its bright yellow-green foliage, which makes a beautiful contrast to the white flowers even before they open.
Feverfew is a short-lived perennial that often behaves as a biennial in garden conditions. It self-seeds prolifically, however, meaning that once you have it in your garden it tends to keep coming back. It tolerates a range of soil conditions and will even perform reasonably well in partial shade, making it a useful plant for tricky spots.
Swan River Daisy (Brachyscome iberidifolia)
For those who want white daisy flowers in containers, hanging baskets, or as a delicate edging plant, the Swan River daisy is a wonderful choice. Native to Australia, it produces a mass of small, fine-petaled flowers in white, pink, lavender, and blue throughout summer, and the white and cream forms are particularly lovely.
This tender annual — or short-lived perennial in frost-free climates — is a compact, mounding plant that rarely exceeds 30 cm in height. It is smothered in bloom for months at a time, especially if given a light trim halfway through the season to encourage a fresh flush of flowers.
The delicacy of the Swan River daisy makes it perfect for romantic, cottage-style containers. Combine white forms with silver-leaved plants like dusty miller, soft blue Scaevola, or trailing dichondra for a cool, sophisticated color palette that will look beautiful throughout the summer months.
African Daisy (Osteospermum)
Osteospermum, commonly known as African daisy or Cape daisy, is one of the most eye-catching plants in the daisy family. Originally from South Africa, it produces large, showy flowers on a compact, spreading plant. While many cultivars come in vivid purples, pinks, and oranges, there are beautiful white and cream selections that deserve more attention.
‘White Lightning’ and ‘Sunny Lady White’ are among the most reliable white-flowering osteospermums, producing large, elegant blooms with a subtle cream suffusion toward the center of the petals. The disc florets are typically a contrasting lavender-blue or purple, which creates a striking effect against the white petals.
One particularly interesting feature of Osteospermum is the spooned petal forms available in some cultivars. These varieties have petals that curl slightly at the tips into small tubes, giving the flowers a sculptural, almost art-deco quality that is genuinely unlike anything else in the garden.
Osteospermum is not reliably hardy in cold climates and is often grown as a half-hardy annual, planted out after the last frost. However, it is long-blooming, easy to maintain, and responds well to deadheading, which extends the display considerably.
White Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea ‘White Swan’ and ‘Magnus White’)
Echinacea, or coneflower, is typically associated with rich purples and pinks, but white-flowering cultivars are among the most elegant plants you can grow. ‘White Swan’ is the classic white echinacea — a sturdy, upright perennial with large, white ray florets surrounding a warm orange-brown central cone. The contrast between the white petals and the orange cone is absolutely beautiful, giving the flowers a subtle warmth that keeps them from feeling cold or sterile.
‘Magnus White’ offers a slightly more refined, horizontal petal arrangement, with larger flowers and a more polished appearance. Both varieties are excellent wildlife plants, attracting bees throughout summer and providing seeds for finches and other birds as the flower heads mature in autumn.
White echinaceas grow best in full sun with well-drained soil. They are drought-tolerant once established, making them excellent choices for dry gardens or low-maintenance planting schemes. Their tall, architectural habit — typically 60–90 cm in height — makes them ideal for the middle or back of a border, where they will provide structure and movement throughout summer and into autumn.
Chamomile (Anthemis and Matricaria species)
There are two main groups of plants commonly called chamomile, and both produce the classic small daisy flowers with white petals and golden centers that most people associate with the name. Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) is a low-growing, creeping perennial that works beautifully as a lawn substitute or path edging, releasing a sweet, apple-like fragrance when walked upon. German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) is an upright annual that is most often grown for its use in herbal teas.
From a purely ornamental standpoint, Anthemis tinctoria ‘E.C. Buxton’ is a magnificent cream-flowered chamomile with finely textured foliage and a long season of bloom. The flowers are not pure white but a warm, buttery cream that glows in summer sunshine. It is a vigorous perennial that flowers for months if cut back after the first flush of bloom, and the contrast between its feathery grey-green foliage and cream flowers is extremely attractive.
Marguerite Daisy (Argyranthemum frutescens)
The marguerite daisy is a tender perennial that is a staple of Mediterranean-style and cottage gardens. It produces a continuous abundance of classic daisy flowers from spring through autumn, with white forms being among the most popular and most widely grown.
‘Snowstorm’ is one of the best white marguerites, a compact, free-flowering variety that is almost always in bloom throughout the growing season. ‘Vera’ offers a double-flowered form with a creamy, quilted center surrounded by white ray florets.
Marguerites perform best in full sun with excellent drainage and a light, fertile soil. They are not frost-hardy and are typically grown as annuals in colder climates, but in mild areas they can be overwintered and will develop into impressive shrubby plants over time. Regular deadheading is essential to keep them looking their best and to maintain continuous flowering.
Designing with White and Cream Daisy Flowers
Now that you have a sense of the plants available, it is worth thinking about how to use them effectively in a garden design.
A pure white garden in the tradition of Vita Sackville-West’s famous White Garden at Sissinghurst is one approach — and if you love that romantic, moonlit aesthetic, a mix of white daisies in different heights and textures will form a beautiful foundation for such a space. Combine Shasta daisies at the back, feverfew in the middle, and Swan River daisies or compact marguerites at the front for a layered, tiered effect that provides interest from spring through autumn.
Alternatively, consider using white daisies as the unifying thread in a mixed-color border. Plant them between bold purple salvias and lavenders, warm yellow rudbeckias, and soft pink roses. The white flowers will keep the composition feeling fresh and balanced while allowing each colored plant to shine.
For a more naturalistic approach, scatter ox-eye daisies and chamomile through a wildflower meadow or a relaxed cottage border. Allow them to self-seed freely, and they will gradually colonize the space in a way that feels entirely effortless and organic.
In containers, white daisies are exceptional. A large pot planted with a standard white argyranthemum underplanted with trailing white bacopa and silver dichondra makes a sophisticated centerpiece for a terrace or entrance. White osteospermums combined with pale blue Scaevola and soft green helichrysum create a cool, coastal-feeling combination that works beautifully throughout summer.
General Growing Tips for Daisy-Family Plants
Most white and cream daisy-type plants share a few basic preferences. Full sun or very light partial shade will produce the best flowering — plants in deep shade tend to become leggy and produce far fewer flowers. Well-drained soil is generally preferred, as most members of the Asteraceae family are susceptible to root rot in waterlogged conditions.
Regular deadheading makes a significant difference to the length and quality of the blooming season. Removing spent flower heads before seeds set redirects the plant’s energy into producing new buds, extending the display by weeks or even months. For many of the annual and tender perennial forms, a hard cut back by a third to half in midsummer can revitalize tired plants and encourage a strong second flush.
Feeding with a balanced, low-nitrogen fertilizer encourages strong flowering without producing excessive leafy growth at the expense of blooms. Water during dry spells, particularly for newly planted individuals, but avoid overwatering established plants.
Pests are generally not a serious problem for daisy-family plants, though aphids can occasionally be an issue on soft new growth, and slugs may damage young plants in spring. Regular inspection and early intervention are usually all that is needed to keep plants healthy.
A Final Thought on the Enduring Appeal of White Daisies
There is a reason the daisy has been loved for thousands of years, appearing in ancient meadows, medieval herbals, Victorian gardens, and contemporary planting designs alike. Its simple, open face is welcoming and unpretentious. In white and cream, it carries an additional quality — a kind of quiet confidence, a luminous simplicity that makes everything around it look a little more beautiful.
Whether you choose a grand drift of Shasta daisies across a sunny border, a scattering of ox-eye daisies through a wildflower meadow, or a single pot of white marguerites on a balcony, you are choosing a plant with deep roots in the human relationship with gardens and with flowers. And that, in the end, is one of the finest things any garden plant can offer.
