Montauk Daisy

Montauk Daisy

Nipponanthemum nipponicum

(nip-pon-AN-the-mum) (nip-PON-ih-kum)

Synonyms: Nippon Daisy, Leucanthemum nipponicum

What I consider the Queen of the Fall Flowers is now blooming. Montauk Daisies really light up the fall garden and for me it is finally a relief after getting the plants through the whole season and seeing them bloom. Luckily not much affects them through the growing season but we still want them to have nice foliage and a lot of buds. There seems to be a few different fall flowers on the market these days with a steady parade of new Asters, Calibrachoas, and a good selection of Pansies. For a long time Chrysanthemum and cabbage seemed the only thing available.

Montauk Daisies are a tough somewhat deer resistant perennial that looks good during the summer. It can tolerate a lot of conditions that many plants can’t. They are always a treat in the border, massed or just planted as singles.

Today's Flower - Fall Aster

Aster sp.
(ASS-ter)

Greetings from Paradise. I haven’t had time to develop (:lol:) any shots from the tropical flowers we have been seeing so here are a couple from the fall. This Aster must be happy since it has returned and flowered for the last 10 years despite the fact the rest of the garden has been encroaching on it. It really should be moved but I don’t want to mess it up. It has a delicate kind of blue/purple color and doesn’t get too tall.

Our little compound (and I do mean little) in Key West has some interesting trees planted in it. There is a Ficus looking tree that is really big that has peeling, suntanned bark, which is reminiscent of our Paper Bark Maple at home. There is also a Schefflera tree with its big green, glossy foliage, a Plumeria and several nice types of Palm Trees. It was around 80 degrees (F) here yesterday.

For more flower pictures from around the world check out:
Today’s Flowers .

Here is the bonus flower for Sunday. It is a good all around perennial that is one of the last to bloom in our fall gardens.


Montauk Daisy
Nipponanthemum nipponicum
(nip-pon-AN-the-mum) (nip-PON-ih-kum)
Synonyms: Nippon Daisy, Leucanthemum nipponicum

There is a little problem with our Internet and I guess I am real spoiled at home with a fast cable connection. I will try and get this posted and visit a few Today’s Flowers participants.

Montauk Daisy

Montauk Daisy
Nipponanthemum nipponicum
(nip-pon-AN-the-mum) (nip-PON-ih-kum)
Synonyms: Nippon Daisy

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 .