Leucanthemella serotina

Leucanthemella serotina, also known as late-flowering ox-eye daisy or late leucanthemum, is a large deciduous perennial, with a slightly upright habit. It flowers at the end of summer with slightly loose bouquets of large white flowers with golden hearts. It blooms until October. Its strong stems do not require staking and easily withstand strong winds. This plant is very hardy and can grow in any ordinary, moist soil, in full sun.

Leucanthemella serotina belongs to the Asteraceae family. It is native to southeastern and central Europe, from the Balkans to the Caucasus. It has been introduced and naturalised in temperate zones around the world. It was formerly known as Chrysanthemum uliginosum due to its preference for wet meadows where it can be found in the wild, sometimes in large colonies. It has an upright, bushy clump-forming habit, reaching a minimum height of 150cm (59in) with a diameter of 80cm (32in). This large daisy has sturdy stems that remain upright even in wind or heavy rain. The flowers are large white daisies with golden yellow hearts. They appear in large loose clusters at the end of summer. The foliage is deciduous, light green, with lanceolate and dentate leaves measuring up to 12cm (5in) in length.

It will find its place in borders, alongside other tall, slightly wild plants such as giant scabious, late-flowering asters (smooth aster, ageratoid aster, and goldilocks aster), and Japanese anemones, and Polygonum microcephalum. Often given as reaching 1.5m (5ft), it can actually reach, and often exceed, 2m (7ft) in height. It is often planted in the shade at the edge of the woods, which is not its preferred condition. It accompanies cimicifuga, autumn monkshoods, and strobilanthes, with which it blooms together. To hide the yellowing basal leaves that often occur before the end of flowering, lower-growing perennials such as perennial chrysanthemums ('Chinese Emperor'), Cerastostigma willmottianum, or Knautia macedonica can be used. It can also be planted near water bodies, where it will find the natural conditions it prefers.