To up and die that fast like that, sounds like some little beastie attacked the roots. Give the plant a yank and see if pulls out easily. Or it could be something of a chemical nature came in contact with it (Round up overspray, dog pee etc). Maybe it will remain a mystery. ThatÂs gardening for you, the agony and the ecstasy.

Wait & see what Spring brings. Shasta daisys are pretty tough. You didn't kill it by cutting it back. I'll bet its only gone dormant.

Jeff, I did see a thread on this somewhere earlier. I think nematodes came up in it. I had one do it in my garden also, but I really am planning on replacing that plant with Fragrant Angel Echinacea since they look so similar.

I went out to give a gentle tug on what's left of the plant, and it essentially wasn't attached to the ground. I mean, it pulled up with less than 1 lb of force. There's one little pair of green leaves down at the bottom, so I left those just in case.

Clearly, something got to the roots of the plant. I'm curious why only this plant is affected - it's right next to another Shasta, and in the same bed as a wide variety of things.

Oh well. Chalk it up to nature, I guess.

Jeff J

My bet is a ground squirrel (chipmunk). If you look around, you'll probably find a tennis ball-size hole somewhere in the vicinity. I don't know if they eat the roots of some plants or just damage them as they dig their tunnels, but every plant I've had die that quickly (and pull out that easily) has been the victim of chipmunk upheaval. Any good ways of ridding them?

Mine did the same thing. Two of the three shasta daisies I planted died after blooming. I've heard the roots are susceptible to fungus, especially with the humid summer we had.

Here is a link that might be useful: My post about dead daisies

@karensgarden

Trapping chipmunks is tough if there are pets of other animals to consider. Any bait for those little rats will attract birds too.

If you find their main tunnel, a pint of gasoline will take care of the whole family. It's quick, and there's less suffering than with Jaw traps of water traps.

I planted some shasta daisys by my mailbox, which should be a great locale. They lasted for a week and are now black flowerheads with green stems. Anyone have an idea what might be happening. I would sure appreciate advice.