April showers bring May flowers, but they also bring April flowers. One of those flowers is the daisy. The most common type of daisy is the Bellis perennis, or the English Daisy, originating from Western Europe. English daisies are the common, white-and-yellow flowers we all know and love. There are also African daisies and daisies of various shapes and colors, but all these different types of daisies belong to the common and large Asteraceae family. Many other beloved flowers come from the Asteraceae family, such as chrysanthemums, dandelions, and sunflowers. Daisies are actually two flowers joined together, as the outside petals and the central disk are different flowers, resembling the sun. Their harmony is a long-standing symbol of true love.
The name “daisy” is speculated to come from “day’s eye”, because its petals open in the day and close at night. Daisies are also heliotropic, meaning they track the sun and move along with it, going from east to west as the day progresses. Sunflowers, dandelions, and other members of the Asteraceae family also display heliotropism. The daisy’s binomial nomenclature, Bellis perennis, comes from the Latin words bellus for “pretty” and perennis for “everlasting”. Daisies have many mythical associations tied to them, with the big three, also known as Roman, Celtic, and Norse mythology, having daisy-related myths. Roman mythology associates the creation of the daisy with the nymph Belides, from which the Latin word for daisy, bellis, is derived. Norse mythology associates daisies with Frejya, the goddess of love, beauty, and fertility, which led to daisies becoming a popular gift for new mothers. Lastly, Celtic myths believe the gods used daisies to comfort parents who had lost a child or infant.
Aside from mythological uses, daisies, like every other flower, have been used for culinary and medicinal purposes. Their leaves are a potherb, meaning they can be eaten cooked. The flower itself can be eaten raw and used as an ingredient in sandwiches and soups, or as a tea or herbal supplement. Who knows what a daisy sandwich could taste like?
