“She loves me she loves me not”. Does anyone play that these days? The white “petals” aren’t petals, but individual flowers or ray florets. The yellow centre is also a cluster of individual flowers, disc florets. Take a look with a hand lens - each disc floret has 5 tiny petals. Common and so easy to ignore, but daisies have a fascinating rich cultural and medicinal history and are edible. Known as Day’s Eye in Anglo Saxon Britain from its habitat of closing at night and greeting us in the morning. The source of many a saying such as “as fresh a daisy”, and a vital source of early Spring nectar. Shame we so often mow their pretty heads off.
“The daisy is a happy flower, And comes at early spring, And brings with it the sunny hour, When bees are on the wing.’ – John Clare, “The Daisy
Anyone for a daisy chain?
Information from Eatweeds