Common names (selected) English: bruisewort, common daisy, daisy, English daisy, perennial daisy; Chinese: 雏菊; Polish: margyretka łąkowa, stokrotka łąkowa, stokrotka trwała; French: pâquerette; German: Gänseblümchen, Maßliebchen; Spanish: vellorita; Swedish: tusensköna; Russian (transliterated): margaritka
Description: perennial
Native regions and distribution: Native to temperate Asia, Europe, northern Africa but widely naturalized in other parts of the world including North and South America and Australia.
Urban habitat: Commonly found in lawns, urban meadows, vacant lots, in pavement cracks. It can thrive in full sun or partial shade and in a variety of soil types.
Ecological function: Disturbance-adapted colonizer and food and habitat for wildlife.
History / human uses: Bellis perennis has astringent properties and has a history of medicinal use for treatment of wounds, bruises, respiratory and sinus congestion, coughs, constipation, indigestion, skin infections, hematuria, rheumatism, arthritis, liver and kidney disorders, as a blood purifier and for treatment of some types of cancer. The name "daisy" is considered a corruption of "day's eye", because the flower closes at night and opens in the morning. Its flower heads look like single flowers but are actually composed of many, tightly packed individual florets. Its leaves and flowers are edible, mixed raw in salads or used as a potherb or made into a tea. An insect repellent can be made from an infusion of its leaves. Even in its native range, the plant is often considered weedy due to its tenacity and in several parts of North America it is considered invasive.