The Daisy: April's Birth Flower

Every month we are asking if you know about your birth flower, and this month we're talking about the daisy!

The idea that birth flowers, such as the daisy, have meanings was introduced in the early 18th century by members of the literary community. Each month was assigned a flower, and it was thought that the characteristics of those would be inherited by those born in that month.

The birth flower for April is…the daisy!

The daisy is part of the plant family Asteraceae. And there are over 32,000 known species in the order asterales! That's a lot of daisies.

But the varieties that we know most in the UK are the common daisy, and the marguerite. The common daisy is found in lawns and grassy areas and is one of the most essential early foods for pollinators such as bees and butterflies. They can also be found in wild meadows, and along river banks and hedgerows.

The marguerite daisy is one of the most popular decorative blooms in British gardens. So with its stand out white petals and yellow centre, it is truly striking and gives a lot of flowers for a relatively small plant. And best of all, it will thrive in pots or borders, which can bring a lot of joy to small gardens and courtyards.

The RHS has a lot to say about planting daisies. And you can see their blog about the best yellow daisies for your garden here.

The importance of the daisies to wildlife

Have you heard of NO MOW MAY?

This incredible movement is championed by Plantlife.org and is an initiative that literally encourages us to do...nothing! So by saying NO to mowing our lawns until the end of May, as a nation we can encourage our wild flowers such as the daisy to bloom and thrive. What this does is provide essential food and nectar for our most important pollinators such as bees and butterflies. Daisies, dandelions, and clovers are some of the first food available to them after a long cold winter. And by refusing to mow until the end of the month of May (if not longer!) we can all help increase the insect populations that are so important to life on earth.

Daisy, daisy, give me an answer true...

The Daisy is found in literature and art all across the globe. It is a popular girls name from the Victorian era, and has also been the title of many hit songs. Not to mention principle characters in books such as The Great Gatsby. So if you search for 'famous Daisy's', the results are numerous!

From Daisy Dukes, to the symbol of Mary Quant fashion lines...the daisy is a prominent part of popular culture. But what about it's attributes as a birth flower?

Attributes associated with the daisy:

Happiness

Love

And I'm sure we all know the nursery rhyme:

Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do,
I'm half crazy,
All for the love of you.

It won't be a stylish marriage,
I haven't got a carriage,
But you'll look sweet, up on the seat,
Of a bicycle built for two!

And if you want to know even more about the Birth Flower for April, or indeed any month, the LolaFlora blog has a huge amount of information and interesting facts!