United States Department of Agriculture 

NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE 

Invasive Species Technical Note No. MT-19 

March 2008 

Ecology and Management of Oxeye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare Lam.) 

By 

Jim Jacobs, Invasive Species Specialist, NRCS, Bozeman, Montana

Figure 1. An oxeye daisy infestation.

Abstract 

Oxeye daisy is a European perennial forb that spreads by seed and creeping rhizomes. Its 

distinctive flowerhead with yellow disc and white ray flowers and its spatula-shaped, lobed 

rosette leaves help identify this Montana Category I noxious weed. First recorded from Lewis 

and Clark County in 1890, it spread to 24 counties by 2007. Oxeye daisy is a prolific seed 

producer and seeds can survive in the soil for up to 39 years. The creeping rhizomes enable 

oxeye daisy to form dense populations avoided by livestock and that crowd-out native and forage 

plant species (see Figure 1). 

Herbicides that temporarily reduce oxeye daisy populations include 2,4-D, aminopyralid, 

metsulfuron, and picloram. Applications in the rosette or pre-bloom stages of growth are most 

effective. Nitrogen fertilization may also reduce populations within competitive plant 

communities with low soil fertility. The shallow root system of oxeye daisy makes it susceptible 

to control with tillage, however, cleaning tillage equipment after use is important to prevent 

spread and follow-up weed management may be needed to control plants re-generating from 

rhizomes and seeds. Persistent hand pulling and grubbing that removes the rhizome may be 

NRCS−Montana−Technical Note−Invasive Species−MT-19 1
practical on small-scale populations. Mowing before bloom will reduce seed production but will 

not reduce populations. Prescribed burning should be combined with other control practices. 

There are no biological control insects available for oxeye daisy management. Applying 

practices that encourage competitive desired plants will improve control procedures and reduce 

the spread of oxeye daisy. Follow-up monitoring after control is important to target populations 

growing from the long-lived seed bank. 

PLANT BIOLOGY 

Taxonomy 

Oxeye daisy is in the sunflower taxonomic family (Asteraceae). The scientific name, 

Leucanthemum vulgare, literally translates to common white flower; the generic name is made 

up of the Greek roots leuk meaning white and anthem meaning flower, and the species name, 

vulgare, is from the Latin vulga meaning common. Synonyms include Chrysanthemum 

leucanthemum and Leucanthemum leucanthemum. Oxeye daisy has many common names 

including bull daisy, button daisy, dog daisy, field daisy, goldens, marguerite, midsummer daisy, 

moon flower, and whiteweed. 

In the United States, there are four species other than oxeye daisy in the Leucanthemum genus, 

all introduced; L. serotina (giant daisy) is found in the Great Lakes States and New England, L. 

lacustre (Portuguese daisy) is found in Wyoming and the Southeastern U.S., and L. maximum

(max chrysanthemum, also English field daisy) is found in the west coast states, Colorado, 

Louisiana, Ohio, and New York. Shasta daisy (Leucanthemum x superbum) is a hybrid cross 

developed (1901) from oxeye daisy flowers dusted with pollen from L. maximum, then selected 

progeny dusted with L. lacustre, and finally selected progeny of this cross dusted with pollen 

from Nipponanthemum nipponicum (Japanese field daisy). Oxeye daisy is closely related 

taxonomically to common tansy (Tanacetum vulgare). 

Figure 2. oxeye daisy rosettes in mid-May. 

NRCS−Montana−Technical Note−Invasive Species−MT-19 2
Identification 

Rhizomes are shallow and obliquely branched. Rosettes grow from prostrate basal stems with 

adventitious buds capable of growing roots. Rosette leaves have long stalks with pinnatifid, 

subpinnatifid, or coarsely and irregularly-toothed margins (see Figure 2). Because of the long 

petiole and blade shape, rosette leaves have been described as spatula-shaped. Rosettes will 

grow in clumps resulting in plants with multiple flowering stems that are glabrous to slightly 

pubescent, 12 to 30 inches (30 to 76 cm) tall, and are simple or moderately branched (see Figure 

3). Stem leaves are sessile (without a petiol) and spirally arranged on the stem. Their shape is 

lanceolate or ligulate and their margins are coarsely-toothed (see Figure 4). All leaves are 

hairless, dark green, and glossy. Flowerheads are solitary at the stem tips and 1 to a little more 

than 2 inches (2.5 to 5.5 cm) in diameter (see Figure 5). Fertile disc flowers are many 

(hundreds), tiny, and bright yellow, and there are 20 to 30 white, petal-like, sterile, ray flowers. 

The achenes (one-seeded fruits) are black with eight to 10 longitudinal ribs, 1 to 1.5 mm long, 

narrowly obovate, with small firm, rounded nodules or swellings at the apex, and without a 

pappus. When crushed, the plant has an unpleasant odor. Oxeye daisy can be distinguished 

from Shasta daisy by its smaller stature and lobed rosette leaves (Shasta daisy rosette leaves are 

dentate). 

 

Figure 3. An oxeye daisy plant in the bud stage of floral development.

NRCS−Montana−Technical Note−Invasive Species−MT-19 3
Figure 4. Oxeye daisy leaf, flowering stem, and seed depiction. 

Life History 

Oxeye daisy is a perennial forb that reproduces by seeds and rhizomes. Seed production 

potential is tremendous. One study in England found 250 seeds per flowerhead. A vigorous 

plant is reported to produce about 26,000 seeds, and smaller plants produce 1,300 to 4,000 seeds 

per plant. An infested pasture was calculated to produce 10,710 seeds/m2

. In one pasture, the 

seed bank in the top 18 cm of soil was estimated at 6.6 million/ha. A seed burial study measured 

seed viability after six years at 82%, and 1% were viable after 39 years. Thus, the abovementioned pasture could have 66,000 viable seeds/ha (27,710 seeds/acre) in the soil after 39 

years of continuous oxeye daisy control. 

Seeds set mostly in August. Achenes ripen rapidly and seeds are viable ten days after flowers 

open. There are no mechanisms of seed dormancy and germination can occur throughout the 

year when conditions are favorable. Establishment from seed is most common in the spring. 

Seedlings have a relatively high rate of survival and demonstrate tolerance to drought. Rhizomes 

develop when seedlings are at the sixth-leaf stage. Stems emerge from rhizome buds in April 

and May. A single plant can form many rosettes, each rosette producing one flowering stem. 

Plants flower in June, July, and August as long as soil moisture is available for active growth. 

Plants die back to the ground under drought conditions but rosettes can grow from rhizomes 

when fall moisture and temperature conditions are favorable. Over-wintering buds are on 

rhizomes at or near the soil surface. The longevity of individual plants or rhizomes has not been 

determined. 

NRCS−Montana−Technical Note−Invasive Species−MT-19 4
Figure 5. Oxeye daisy flowers blooming in July. 

Habitat 

In Montana, oxeye daisy is commonly found in pastures and hay meadows, along roads, 

railroads, streams and lakes, in gardens and lawns, in open and thick woodlands, and along 

irrigation ditches. It usually grows on mesic sites. It grows on a wide range of soil textures, has 

moderate requirement for nitrogen, and is more abundant on poorer soils. It is found more often 

on basic or neutral soils and less often on acidic soils. It has a low tolerance for shade and 

prefers open sites. History indicates oxeye daisy is well adapted to disturbances associated with 

humans. It is in Far Eastern legends, achenes have been documented from the Iron Age (eight 

century BC), from the Roman period (first century BC), and from post-glacial Britain. 

Spread 

Oxeye daisy is native to Europe north to Scandinavia and Lapland, the British Isles, Russia and 

central Asia. It was imported to North America as an ornamental, and it has been included in 

popular “wildflower” seed mixes. Along with being an escaped ornamental, oxeye daisy was 

brought to North America as a contaminant of imported hay and grain seeds. 

Oxeye daisy achenes have no specialized morphological features facilitating dispersal. A 

dispersal study in England found few seeds traveled farther than three feet from the parent plants. 

Sheep grazing and cutting hay treatments had little effect on seed dispersal distance in that study, 

but more seeds were dispersed in the grazed treatment than the hay-cut treatment, probably 

because cutting removed unripe seed and seed heads. The study suggests oxeye daisy 

populations may be more dispersal limited than site limited. 

Long distant spread of oxeye daisy is dependent on factors other than morphological features of 

the achene. Probable vectors of spread include people, vehicles, and animals. Livestock and 

NRCS−Montana−Technical Note−Invasive Species−MT-19 5
wild ungulates likely transport seeds embedded in their fur and in soil on their hooves. Seedeating birds also are likely vectors. People hiking, riding horseback, or driving all-terrain 

vehicles may transport seeds long distances. Movement of soil containing seeds on equipment, 

vehicles, and shoes is a probable means of long-distant transport. Oxeye daisy seeds can spread 

from infested hay meadows when plants with flowers are baled in hay. 

Impacts 

Oxeye daisy is predominantly a weed of pastures and hayland where it crowds-out preferred 

forage species reducing carrying capacity for livestock and the value of hay. Where it spreads 

onto rangeland it will reduce livestock forage and plant community diversity. Allelopathic 

compounds have not been found in oxeye daisy. However, one study found a high number of 

root-feeding nematodes associated with the roots of oxeye daisy. There is evidence that the soil 

microbial community of a plant can suppress the growth of neighboring species, and association 

with nematodes may suppress other species growing with oxeye daisy. Oxeye daisy was used in 

Europe as a salad green. 

MANAGEMENT

Herbicidal Control 1/ 

On pastures and rangeland, oxeye daisy can be temporarily suppressed by aminopyralid, 

metsulfuron, picloram, or 2,4-D. The recommendation for picloram is one pint product (Tordon 

22K® or Picloram22®) per acre to actively growing plants before bloom or to fall re-growth. 

This rate applied to rosettes in mid-May provided two years control on a forest meadow site. On 

that site three years after treatment, an average of 23 rosettes/m2 was measured. The 

recommended rate for metsulfuron is one ounce per acre product (Escort® or Cimarron®) 

applied to rosette plants in the spring (May). This treatment also provided two years of control 

on the forest meadow site with an average of nine rosettes/m2 three years after treatment. The 

metsulfuron treatment was not statistically different than the picloram treatment. A non-ionic 

surfactant is needed in the spray solution at 0.5% by volume for metsulfuron to be effective. The 

label rate for aminopyralid is 4 to 6 ounces product (Milestone®) per acre to plants in the prebud stages. Pre-bloom foliar applications of 2,4-D at 2 quarts per acre with repeated applications 

to re-growth can also be used. Glyphosate applied at one to two quarts per acre will kill oxeye 

daisy on cropland or where re-vegetation is planned. Label information for all herbicides should 

be carefully followed not only for application restrictions but also for restrictions that apply to 

grazing and harvest of forage after application. 

NRCS−Montana−Technical Note−Invasive Species−MT-19 6
Table 1. Chemical and product name, recommended application rate, soil residual half life, and 

eco-toxicity of herbicides commonly used to control oxeye daisy. The eco-toxicity is the lethal 

concentration of the herbicide when applied in a single dose kills 50 percent of the tested organism 

(the lower the number the more toxic the herbicide). Follow label guidelines for rangeland use and 

all other label requirements when applying herbicides to avoid damage to desirable plant species. 

Chemical name Product name Rate 

per Acre 

Half life

(days) 

Eco-toxicity (LC50/EC50)

2,4-D Many names 1 to 2 qts. 7 1-10 mg/L 

Aminopyralid Milestone 5 to 7 oz. 30 >100 mg/L 

Glyphosate many names 1 to 2 qts. 32 8.2 mg/L 

Metsulfuron Escort/Cimarron 0.5 to 1.5 oz. 14-180 >150 mg/L 

Picloram Tordon 22K/Picloram22 1 pt. 90 10-100 mg/L 

1/

Any mention of products in this publication does not constitute a recommendation by the NRCS. It is a 

 violation of Federal law to use herbicides in a manner inconsistent with their labeling. 

Nutrient Management 

An unpublished study conducted in the 1970’s found repeated application of nitrogen fertilizer 

was almost as effective in managing oxeye daisy as spraying with 2,4-D or picloram after seven 

years. Grass yields increased 500% where nitrogen was applied at 80 or 160 lbs./acre and was 

2.5 times greater five years after nitrogen applications were discontinued. This suggests that 

oxeye daisy is not competitive with grasses under high nitrogen conditions. The recommended 

rate of nitrogen for management of oxeye daisy growing in a stand of competitive grasses is 80 

lbs./acre. This also emphasizes the importance of nutrient management in hay fields where 

oxeye daisy is a threat. 

Hand Pulling 

Hand pulling, grubbing, and hoeing may be practical on small populations of oxeye daisy and if 

it is applied persistently can reduce populations. Pulling and grubbing must remove as much of 

the rhizome as possible to be effective. Follow-up treatments will be necessary where a 

persistent seed bank or rhizomes exist. Competition and shade will reduce the re-growth of 

oxeye daisy where manual control is used. 

Mowing 

In a 28-year study in northern Europe, annual mowing with removal of hay resulted in an 

increase in oxeye daisy abundance. Mowing with hay removal may favor oxeye daisy by 

decreasing soil nutrients and reducing a shading canopy. It is recommended that mowing be 

combined with nutrient management and herbicide management if it is used on pastures infested 

with oxeye daisy. Mowing at the bud stage of development may reduce seed production, and a 

British study suggests mowing before seed set may reduce dispersal. Before an herbicide 

application, mowing may improve herbicide contact with rosettes. 

NRCS−Montana−Technical Note−Invasive Species−MT-19 7
Tilling 

Oxeye daisy is not normally a problem in cultivated crop fields because it is controlled by tillage 

procedures that clean crop fields of weeds. However, because rhizomes have regenerative buds, 

it is possible to spread oxeye daisy within a crop field and between fields. The long-lived seeds 

are also believed to be spread with the movement of soil. Repeated tillage or an herbicide 

application to oxeye daisy plants that regenerate from rhizomes or seeds following tillage will 

reduce its spread on tilled fields. Cleaning tillage equipment of soil that may contain seeds or 

rhizomes is recommended after use on fields where oxeye daisy has been growing and before use 

on weed-free fields. 

Prescribed Burning 

In a 28-year study, annual spring burning of grassland in Sweden did not affect populations of 

oxeye daisy. However, there are two considerations where prescribed fire is planned. First, fire 

exposes bare, mineral soil and favors the germination and establishment of oxeye daisy seeds 

and seedlings. Second, fire may increase or decrease nitrogen in the soil. Decreased nitrogen 

favors oxeye daisy over forage grasses in competitive interactions and increased nitrogen may 

have the opposite effect. To reduce the risk of increased oxeye daisy after prescribed burning, 

deferred grazing and herbicide management are recommended. Where there are no competitive 

plants or in forested plant communities where prescribed fire is planned, herbicide management 

and re-vegetation are recommended along with deferred grazing. 

Grazing Control 

Cattle (and pigs) avoid grazing oxeye daisy because of its bitter, acrid taste. In Great Britain, 

oxeye daisy is not common on lightly-grazed meadows, and its abundance is positively related 

with the intensity of grazing or cutting. Therefore, prescribed grazing management should be a 

part of oxeye daisy control and prevention on pastures and rangeland. Horses, sheep, and goats 

graze oxeye daisy; however sheep and goats are more likely than horses to provide population 

control. It is recommended that sheep or goats be confined to an infestation prior to bloom and 

removed when 50% of the grass is utilized. Repeated grazing over a number of years may 

reduce oxeye daisy populations. Periodic herbicide applications may be needed to maintain 

oxeye daisy below threshold levels. If livestock graze oxeye daisy infestations after bloom, 

animals should be held for five days and fed weed-free forage before moving to weed-free areas 

to prevent the spread of viable seeds that pass through the digestive system. 

Cultural Control 

Plant competition reduces the invasiveness of oxeye daisy and increases the effectiveness of 

controlled applications. Therefore, practices that increase the competitiveness of desirable plant 

species and communities such as conservation crop rotation, nutrient management, conservation 

cover, and critical area planting (for example, after a wildfire) will make the environment less 

hospitable for oxeye daisy to survive and spread. 

NRCS−Montana−Technical Note−Invasive Species−MT-19 8
Biological Control 

Currently, there are no biological control insects available for management of oxeye daisy. 

Re-vegetation 

Species selected for re-vegetating disturbed sites and oxeye daisy infestations should be 

appropriate for management objectives, adapted to site conditions, and competitive with the 

weed. Management objectives will determine if introduced or native species are seeded and the 

combination of species in the seed mix. The environmental conditions of the site including 

precipitation, soil texture and depth, slope and aspect, will affect species establishment. Refer to 

Montana Plant Materials Technical Note 46, ‘Seeding Rates and Recommended Cultivars,’ and 

Extension Bulletin EB19 ‘Dryland Pasture Species for Montana and Wyoming’ for seeding rate 

guidance and re-vegetation species selection. State, area, and field office resource specialists can 

help determine the most appropriate, site-specific species mix and timing of seeding. 

In most cases, herbicidal suppression of oxeye daisy is needed for re-vegetation of infested lands. 

The herbicides listed in Table 1 will control oxeye daisy and reduce competition during the 

establishment period with little or no injury to emerging grass seedlings. This is especially 

important for species that are slow to establish like many of the native grasses. However, where 

herbicides have been applied, chemical carryover should be assessed prior to planting permanent 

vegetation, particularly if forbs or shrubs are included in the seed mix. 

It is noteworthy that a six-year field diversity study in the Netherlands found oxeye daisy 

population stability measured by biomass decreased as diversity increased. The diversity makeup of this study included combinations four grass and four forb species, all perennials. In the last 

year of the study, oxeye daisy almost disappeared from the plots. Light intensity at the soil 

surface decreased as diversity increased, and soil nutrient concentrations were either not affected 

(phosphate) or showed a slight increase (potassium and nitrate) with diversity. In monocultures 

of oxeye daisy, fewer weeds were successful invaders than in monocultures of the other seven 

species. This study suggests that restoring and maintaining diverse plant communities may 

reduce invasiveness of this weed, and the suppression of oxeye daisy is important for successful 

re-vegetation with desirable species. 

Integrated Pest Management 

Integrated pest management is the application of two or more management alternatives that are 

complimentary in weed suppression, increase the longevity of control procedures, and improve 

crop production or conservation of resources. The integration of multiple management practices 

should be designed based on the stage of oxeye daisy invasion. On populations in the early 

phase of invasion, aggressive herbicidal or hand control should be combined with cultural 

practices that strengthen the competitiveness of the plant community including the application of 

80 lbs./acre nitrogen on non-native pastures and haylands. In areas with large-scale infestations 

in the later phases of invasion, first priority should be given to herbicide application to eradicate 

small, satellite populations and to reduce spread along the invasion front of the parent 

population. Second priority should be given to reducing the parent population using herbicide 

management, nitrogen addition to grass communities, and re-vegetation with competitive plants 

where needed. On grazing lands, prescribed grazing management using multiple species should 

be timed to maintain the vigor of rangeland plants and prevent oxeye daisy seed spread. On crop 

NRCS−Montana−Technical Note−Invasive Species−MT-19 9
NRCS−Montana−Technical Note−Invasive Species−MT-19 10

and hay land in rotation, tillage combined with herbicide treatment will be more effective than 

either of the treatments applied alone, and a nutrient management plan should be followed. On 

disturbed sites, pastures, and rangeland where competitive plants have been lost, re-vegetation 

following control of oxeye daisy will improve the longevity of the control application. 

References 

Coulson, S.J., J.M. Bullock, M.J. Stevenson, and R.F. Pywell. 2001. Colonization of grassland 

by sown species: dispersal versus microsite limitation in responses to management. Journal of 

Applied Ecology 38: 204-216. 

Mitch, L.W. Intriguing world of weeds: Oxeye daisy (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum L.), the 

white-flowered gold flower. 2000. Weed Technology. 14: 659-662. 

Olson, B.E. and R.T. Wallander. 1999. Oxeye daisy. In: Sheley, R.L. and J.K. Petroff (eds.). 

Biology and Management of Noxious Rangeland Weeds. Oregon State Press. Pages 282-289. 

van Ruijven, J. and F. Berendse. 2007. Contrasting effects of diversity on the temporal stability 

of plant populations. Oikos 116: 1323-1330. 

van Ruijven, J., G.B. De Deyn, and F. Berendse. 2007. Diversity reduces invasiblilty in 

experimental plant communities: the role of plant species. Ecology Letters, 6: 910-918. 

Wahlman, H. and P. Milberg. 2002. Management of semi-natural grassland 

vegetation:evaluation of a long-term experiment in southern Sweden. Ann. Bot. Fennici 39: 159-

166.