What are the Different Types of Daisies?
There are over 20,000 different species of the family Asteraceae, which is sometimes referred to as the family of daisies. Daisies are a star-like flower, hence the name, from the Greek aster. Some members of Asteraceae, such as many lettuces and sunflowers, are not thought of as daisies, but they share many of the same characteristics. The family Asteraceae is quite old at upwards of fifty million years in its full formation. Its plants make up nearly ten percent of all flowering plants on Earth, and it’s arguable as to whether it or the orchid family holds more genera and species. Daisies include not only the blooms most people are familiar with, but also popular health herbs such as Echinacea and arnica, and many edible plants such as artichokes and endive. When most people think of daisies, however, they think of a number of flowering plants. Though these flowers all fall within the family Asteraceae, they have little else in common to the casual observer. The true daisy–that with
