The daisy flower is often imagined as a simple bloom with white petals and a bright yellow center. This classic image symbolizes innocence and new beginnings. While this common perception holds true for many familiar daisies, the world of these flowers encompasses a far broader spectrum of colors and forms.
The Classic White and Yellow Daisy
The quintessential daisy, Bellis perennis, is commonly known as the English or common daisy. This species features numerous white ray florets, often mistaken for petals, encircling a dense cluster of tiny yellow disc florets at its core. These disc florets form the characteristic sunny yellow eye of the flower. The entire flower head, a composite of many smaller flowers, usually measures between 1.2 to 2.4 centimeters across.
This iconic white and yellow combination is a hallmark of Bellis perennis, a perennial herbaceous plant that grows close to the ground. The white ray florets sometimes show a reddish tint, especially when young. Bellis perennis is native to Europe but has become widespread globally, often found colonizing lawns and fields.
Diverse Daisy Colors
Beyond Bellis perennis, the term “daisy” encompasses many flowering plants within the Asteraceae family, showcasing a rich palette of colors. Gerbera daisies (Gerbera jamesonii), for instance, are known for vibrant hues like red, pink, orange, yellow, purple, and white. Some Gerbera varieties also display bicolored petals.
Shasta daisies (Leucanthemum x superbum) largely maintain classic white ray florets with a yellow center, similar to the common daisy but typically larger. Some cultivated Shasta daisy varieties can exhibit creamy white or lemon yellow petals that transition to creamy white as they mature. African daisies (Osteospermum species) introduce even more diversity, with flowers in shades of purple, pink, orange, yellow, and white, often featuring unique dark centers, sometimes appearing blue or purple.
How Daisies Get Their Colors
The specific colors observed in daisies, like other flowers, are determined by pigments produced within their plant cells. These organic compounds absorb certain wavelengths of light and reflect others, which is what our eyes perceive as color. The primary pigment groups responsible for the array of daisy colors are anthocyanins, carotenoids, and, less commonly, chlorophyll.
Anthocyanins are water-soluble pigments that accumulate in cell vacuoles, responsible for red, pink, purple, and blue hues. Their color can vary depending on the pH level within the plant cells; for example, a lower pH might result in redder tones, while a higher pH could lean towards bluer or purpler shades. Carotenoids are lipid-soluble pigments found in plastids like chromoplasts, producing yellows, oranges, and some reds. Chlorophyll, primarily known for its green color in leaves, can sometimes contribute to greenish tints in flowers. The precise combination and concentration of these pigments, along with genetic programming and environmental factors, ultimately dictate the final color of a daisy bloom.