Montauk Daisy

Montauk Daisy
Nipponanthemum niponicum
Synonyms: Nippon Daisy, Chrysanthemum niponicum, Leucanthemum niponicum

This plant has a few naming issues as it is called several synonyms and its scientific name has changed a couple of times over the years. It now has its own genus, Nipponanthemum, and is indigenous only to Japan. No matter what you call it this flower is great for the fall garden. It is hardy to USDA Zone 5 and has always been a reliable bloomer for me. The flowers look a lot like Shasta daisy but the almost succulent foliage and the fact the stems get woody makes it different. While I find Shastas and the other Daisies to be low maintenance the Montauks need even less water and care. I simply shear them to 6 to 12 inches to tidy them up in the spring and if I remember pinch them a couple of times during the spring and early summer.


Since Montauk Daisy blooms in the late summer and fall it is a nice plant to combine with Goldenrod (and I only recommend the garden cultivars of that), taller Sedums, and Miscanthus and other fall grasses. These pictures were taken on the Eastern end of Long Island, near the end of the North Fork. It was simply amazing to see them in bloom in a lot of the yards and commercial plantings. They seemed to be especially effective on man made berms were they had a great rolling carpet effect.

Our January thaw came a little early this year. We still have another day or two left. I found out on Wikipedia that January thaw is considered a weather singularity, which “is a weather phenomenon associated with a specific, potentially approximate, calendar date. For example, a large snowstorm that occurs around February 1 would be a singularity. Seasonal trends and their consequences (such as the fact that May Day is usually warmer than New Year's Day, in northern locales) do not comprise singularities.”

I have to run now to enjoy our ride on the Pineapple Express .