A painted daisy is proof that you can’t judge a book by its cover. Or rather, that you can’t judge an effective bug-killer by its beautiful blooms.
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On the surface, Tanacetum coccineum is an absolutely gorgeous perennial.
With its extremely striking hues, this daisy truly does look painted, as if Georgia O’Keeffe herself took some red, pink, and/or purple pastels directly to the petals.
But contained within the flowers are pyrethrins: a group of naturally-occurring compounds which, when consumed, wreak havoc on a bug’s nervous system.
As a result, bugs tend to steer clear of these bad boys, making the painted daisy a fine choice for organic pest management.
Growing and caring for these flowers is pretty simple, but a primer will definitely give you a leg up on T. coccineum cultivation. Hence, this guide.
Here’s what you’ll be getting into:
What Are Painted Daisies?Hardy in USDA Zones 3 through 7 and native to southwestern Asia, painted daisies are a spectacular species of herbaceous perennial flower, belonging to the Asteraceae family alongside cosmos, dahlias, and marigolds.
The painted daisy goes by other common names, such as the pyrethrum, pyrethrum daisy, and Persian insect flower.
In binomial nomenclature, former names include Chrysanthemum coccineum, C. roseum, and Pyrethrum roseum.
Tanacetum coccineum has a fun meaning. From the Greek athanasia – meaning “immortality” – comes the genus name, which references the everlasting nature of Asteraceae blooms.
The species name coccineum means “scarlet” or “crimson,” a nod to the sometimes red petals.
Since many
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