Leucanthemum Amazing Daisies® 'Banana Cream II'

Leucanthemum Amazing Daisies® 'Banana Cream II': Soft Yellow Daisies to Cool Hot Colours

'Banana Cream II' is proof that sometimes the sequel is better than the original. Big daisies open lemon yellow and mellow to creamy white on a tidy upright plant. NO PLOT HOLES. NO BAD ACTING. JUST FLOWERS.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Leucanthemum x superbum 'Banana Cream II'
• Common Name: Shasta Daisy
• Series: Amazing Daisies®, a Proven Winners® perennial
• Height: 50–60 cm (20–24 in)
• Spread: 50–55 cm (20–22 in)
• Flowers: Large daisies that open lemon yellow and fade to creamy white, with golden centres
• Bloom Time: Early to late summer (June to August)
• Foliage: Dark green, with an upright habit
• Features: Long blooming, good cut flower, 2022 Top Performer in the Penn State University plant trials
• Plant Patent: USPP 33,851 / Can PBRAF

Where to Plant: Use it at the front or middle of a sunny border, in large containers, or massed in groups for a soft yellow drift. The flowers are excellent for cutting, and the pale tone softens hotter colours around it.

Companion Plants: Behind the buttery daisies, Agastache 'Blue Fortune' grows 60 to 90 cm with blue spikes from July to September, a classic blue-and-yellow pairing. Edge the bed with Veronica 'Snow Candles', whose white spikes stay 20 to 30 cm tall over the same months. Finish with Sedum 'Dark Magic' at 30 to 38 cm, which carries pink flowers from August to October after the daisies rest. Everything here wants full sun.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun in average, well-drained soil. Shasta daisies dislike soggy winter soil, so avoid low spots in heavy clay. Water regularly during the first season and in dry spells after that. Deadhead spent flowers to keep new buds coming. Cut the plant back after frost or in early spring. Divide every few years in spring to keep clumps vigorous, since Shasta daisies tend to bloom best when they're refreshed now and then.

History: 'Banana Cream II' is an improved follow-up to the original 'Banana Cream' and is marketed by Proven Winners® in the Amazing Daisies® series. The Shasta daisy itself is a garden hybrid made famous by Luther Burbank in California, who named it after the snowy peak of Mount Shasta.

Final Thoughts: Cut a vaseful for the kitchen table, then plant a whole sweep and wait for part three. WE'RE ALREADY IN LINE FOR TICKETS.