Exuding freshness, happiness, and innocence, daisies are one of the most well-known flowers around the world.

From their fascinating history to their remarkable adaptations, daisies have a wealth of secrets to uncover.

Let's dive in and discover the hidden wonders of daisies!

1. Technically, a daisy flower head is not just one flower but actually two in one.
The central cluster, called the disc floret, is distinct from the surrounding petals, which is called the ray.

2. This flower gets its name "daisy" from the Old English term daes eag, meaning "day's eye."
This comes from its behavior of shutting its petals at night and unwrapping them in the morning.

3. Over 20,000 daisy species exist, and they come in various colors, including pink, yellow, white, and blue.
Along with their color being symbolic, the daisy is the birth month flower for April.

4. Daisies are tough plants capable of adapting to different habitats. As a result, they flourish everywhere on the globe except Antarctica.

5. Daisies are safe to eat and can be used as garnish or incorporated into salads or soups.

6. Daisies look like miniature sunflowers.
Both flowers belong to the same large family called Asteraceae.

7. Daisies were traditionally used to make herbal medicines for colds. Modern studies have revealed that these humble plants contain almost as much vitamin C as lemons, which could help fight a cold.

8. Speaking of symbolism, daisies represent much more than just true love, friendship, and cheerfulness.
They also symbolize innocence and purity, thanks to a Celtic legend. According to the tale, whenever an infant died, God would sprinkle daisies across the earth to console the grieving family.
In Norse mythology, daisies were the sacred flower of the goddess Freya. Thanks to her status as the goddess of love, fertility, and beauty, daisies eventually came to represent childbirth, motherhood, and new beginnings.

9. Bees love daisies, so you're likely to find them buzzing around fields of this flower.
The flat arrangement of daisy petals makes it easy for the bees to access the pollen they use for food.

10. On April 18, 2009, 331 people gathered on an Italian TV show to play the world's largest game of “He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not” with daisies.

Sources
Garden of Eden Flower Shop / Eat Weeds / PBS / Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust / The Simple Things / Fresh Trimmings / Bee Life / The Herbal Hub / Floraly