Painted Daisies Care Guide: How to Grow Painted Daisies

Painted daisies (Tanacetum coccineum) are a daisy-like flower within the Asteraceae family, or the aster family. Painted daisies are also called pyrethrum, Persian pellitory, or Persian insect flower because they’re insect-repellant. These perennial flowers feature a yellow center surrounded by white, red, magenta, and marigold-colored petals. Painted daisies typically grow three inches across and up to three feet tall, with a bloom time from late spring to late summer.

Whether you are planting painted daisies from seeds or cuttings, space the plants eighteen to twenty-four inches apart. There are three ways to add painted daisies to your garden:

1. 1. Plant seeds indoors before the last frost. You can start the painted daisy seeds indoors in a potting mix four to six weeks before the last frost date. Make sure the plants get indirect sunlight indoors. Once germination has occurred, move the plants outside in the springtime when the danger of frost is past.
2. 2. Directly sow the seeds in the garden. Sow the seeds in your garden in the early spring. Choose a sunny location with fertile soil, and cover the seeds lightly with soil. Water once a week, and seedlings should sprout in two to three weeks.
3. 3. Transfer young painted daisy plants to your garden. You can also purchase young plants at a garden center and then transfer them to your garden bed.

Like most daisy varieties, painted daisy plants are low-maintenance. Follow these tips to best care for your plants:

1. 1. Place painted daisies in full sun. In hotter Southern climates, make sure the plants get part shade in the afternoon so they don’t burn.
2. 2. Water the daisies once a week. The soil should be kept moist but not soggy. Painted daisies are drought-tolerant, so it's better to underwater than to overwater.
3. 3. Overwinter your painted daisies. After the first frost, cut back the leaves and cover the roots with one to two inches of mulch to keep the roots warm. In the spring, remove the mulch until the root crown is exposed.
4. 4. Prune and deadhead the daisies to promote growth. When the plants are six to eight inches tall, pinch back the top by cutting off no more than an inch. Pruning will encourage the growth of side branches and flower buds. Stop pinching when the plants reach your desired height. Deadhead spent blooms to encourage more growth.
5. 5. Protect your daisies from pests. Painted daisies are deer-resistant but attract aphids and leaf miners. You can control these pests with a natural insecticide like neem oil.
6. 6. Propagate painted daisies from stem cuttings or division. Dip a cut piece of the stem into rooting hormone, then place it in a potting mix. You can also divide the plants when they are at least a year old and mature. Simply dig up the entire plant, divide it into three to four sections with root systems attached, and replant the bunches at least two inches apart.

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