Oxeye daisy

Oxeye daisy is commonly found  in  low– to mid-elevations in grasslands and dry to moist forests. This unwanted invader is present in the  Kootenays, Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, and of major concern in the Cariboo, Okanagan, Peace River, Thompson, and  Omineca. The plant can be found  along  roadsides, in  pastures, waste areas, grassland and forested areas within low to mid elevations.  

• Oxeye daisy plants aggressively reproduce and lead to dense patches that reduce native plant diversity.  
• Infestations can decrease forage for wildlife and may decrease vegetative ground cover due to its growth form, thereby increasing the area of exposed soil on site. 
• Due to its unpleasant taste, most grazers tend to avoid it, allowing it to spread easily within grazed grasslands, pastures, and rangelands.  
• As many as 40% of the seeds consumed by cattle may remain viable after passing through the digestive tract. 
• These plants have also shown to carry several crop diseases including the yellow dwarf virus of potatoes.  

The most effective way to ensure that your lands do not become infested with oxeye daisy is by prevention. Here are some recommendations to prevent oxeye daisy from invading your property: 

• Maintain your crops and natural lands in a healthy, vigorous condition to ensure a competitive plant community. 
• Regularly patrol your property for oxeye daisy plants and immediately control or remove infestations before seed set. Do not leave plants to compost as they may still produce viable seed. 
• Shasta daisy is a good alternative to oxeye daisy, and if you want to bring nature back to your garden with wildflower.  
• Buy wildflower mixes only from a reputable native plant nursery that has collected seeds locally.  
• Cooperate with adjacent landowners and encourage them to prevent oxeye daisy spread.
• Immediately re-vegetate disturbed, bare soils with a suitable seed mixture that provides dense, early colonization to prevent weed invasion.  
• Do not move contaminated soils to a new area. 

• Oxeye daisy can either be mowed, hand-pulled, digged, or treated with herbicides.  
• Mowing may effectively reduce seed production, but should be repeated as it may stimulate vegetation growth.  
• Grazing by sheep and goats may also reduce oxeye daisy populations.  
• Oxeye daisy can be hand-pulled or digged, however, ensure that all roots are removed as new shoots may emerge from remaining root portions. Follow up treatments will be required as seeds can remain viable in the soil for many years.  
• Chemical control is an option. Before applying herbicides, read the label for full use and precautionary instructions.  For further information on the selection and application of chemicals to protect your crop, contact AgriService BC at 1-888-221-7141 or email AgriServiceBC@gov.bc.ca
• There are currently no biocontrol agents available for oxeye daisy in BC.