My painted daisy sprouts are still only about 3 inches tall so I'm just waiting for them to get some size to them. I'll be interested in seeing what folks can tell you since I've never grown them before I WS a pack of seeds. Do you recall when you WS yours? I waited to WS them until April 25 on the advice of another WSer who lost her seedlings to frost last year.
Eileen

Eileen,

According to my records I sowed the painted daisies on Jan. 24. Of course we had no warm snap here in Feb., in fact quite the opposite with two big snowstorms in a week. Once it warmed up we had very few frost threats here, so I moved seedlings into the garage just twice, and by the second time some of the painted daisies were already in the garden and I didn't cover them. I don't think the frost ever materialized either time in our area, so they were fine. i also got lucky with petunias, which I sowed on Jan. 9 and Jan. 14 and again in March. The ones sowed earliest actually did the best and some are blooming now.

The painted daisies were pretty slow growing at first, but once in the ground they've really taken off compared to the ones that I transplanted to individual cups and still haven't found homes for. For some reason I got like 15 or so sprouts from one seed pack, not a bad germination rate.

Caryl

Two plants are commonly called "Painted Daisy".

One is the bright yellow, pink orange and white banded annual, Chrysanthemum carinatum which germinates strongly when WSed and should be getting plenty of buds this time of year. It is also often called Tri-colored daisy.

The other is the shades of pink, daisy shaped perennial Tanacetum coccineum. It sometimes WSes OK, but I've had better luck with Spring sowing that one even though the mature plants are a very hardy perennial. It's also often referred to as Pyrethrum Daisy. It one may throw a stray bud in the first year, but doesn't really get flowering strongly until year 2.

So not only do two flowers commonly go by the name "Painted Daisy", there are also reports of a mix up in some commercial seed over the past couple of years where the pack has the photo of one sort and the seeds are actually the other kind. I don't call any of mine painted daisies. I usually call them tri-colored daisies or pyrethrum daisies to minimize confusion.

Lynda

Lynda,

This was commercial seed pack and the pictures showed varying shades of pastel colored, pink flowers. Only one bud has opened and it's scrawny and burgundy colored.

Unfortunately I think mine might be the tri-colored judging from my pocket guide. The seed packet is long gone. I wanted the pink ones, not the orangey rust ones. Dang.

Caryl

I think it was Ferry Morse seeds that had the shades of pink perennial Pyrethrum daisies on the front, and the annual tri-colored daisies inside.

Tricolors can be very pretty. They bloom in a wide range of colors so you might end up with some that you like.

Lynda

Mine were Burpee seeds. Seed pack said perennial & blooms second year after sowing but there's no botanical name anywhere on the envelope. I just assumed tanacetum pyrethrum but guess I'll have to wait until next year to see what flower colors I get. I'll WS another milk jug or two next year so I have lots of plants--germination wasn't particularly robust this time. Hope I remember to sow heavily.

Might be Pyrethrum. It is a slow grower, slow to start blooming and slow to enlarge itself. I also grew mine from a pack of seeds and had very poor germination with only one surviving to bloom, this was three or four or years back. The first year it didn't bloom, the second year it had two flowers and this year it has three. Oh rah. Maybe if I move it into a bed with cushy soil, give it lots of TLC and whisper sweet things into its leaves it will give me four flowers next year ;-( I love the pink flowers, they do last a while, but I'm not feeling the love with this plant.

Here is a link that might be useful: T&M Pyrethrum seeds

I got some this year from a big box store. I sure hope it blooms year 1 but I can wait till next year if not.

Mine grew well for me though... I planted out a while ago but they are still really small.

Karen

Lynda,

Mine are definitely the tri-colors and not the pyrethrum. I was upset because the first few blooms weren't all that impressive, mostly yellow or a dull burgundy, but I was just out there and one new one is gorgeous white and yellow and pink/red.

Caryl

I WS "painted daisies" too, didn't realize two plants were called "Painted Daisy." Trudi posted a link to Pyrethrum. Here is a link to Chrysanthemum carinatum if anyone else has questions about which they planted.

Here is a link that might be useful: Chrysanthemum carinatum

Thanks for the info trudi. I guess I'll just give them time and see what happens. I really wanted them (well, I really wanted everything I WS, not just these). I'm learning which seeds go whole hog with WS and which don't appear to benefit with the method. Buddleia sprouts are still only about 1/4" tall. Rudbeckia on the other hand is up nearly a foot. Cosmos really took off and the mallow is covered in buds. Even the dogwoods I grew have their second true leaves. And the tomatoes--wow!!

Gardenweed - I'm in the same zone as you. I WSed buddleia last year and planted the tiny seedlings out at the second true leaf stage.

They needed a bit of attention early on to make sure they didn't dry out, but later in the summer some of them were 3 ft tall and blooming. Not a ton of blooms, but enough to see the color.

I think you'll end up moving them to your "WS winners" list before the growing season is over!

Lynda

Gardenweed, you mustg have the pyrethrum because the tri-colors sprouted like crazy and all are blooming already. Yours will bloom next year and look worth the wait.

Caryl