🌼 Alaska Shasta Daisy

What it looks like

Why this variety

Alaska is the shasta daisy that started the shasta craze: a single white daisy, 2 to 3 feet tall, with large, classic blooms and sturdy stems, descended from the original Shasta daisies bred by Luther Burbank in the 1890s by crossing oxeye daisies with other daisy species. It is the cottage-garden standard — the white daisy in every grandmother’s garden, in every summer bouquet, and in every border that needs a white foil — and it has survived for over a century because it does the simple thing supremely well.

The trade-off is the usual shasta bargain: it wants sun, drainage, and deadheading, and it is shorter-lived than Becky, needing division every few years to stay vigorous. Deadhead for rebloom, divide in spring or fall, and do not plant it in wet soil, where it rots. Alaska is a little less heat-tolerant than Becky, so give it afternoon shade in the hottest gardens, and it will reward you with the classic white daisy show all summer.

If you are new to choosing between cultivars, the Varieties Matter guide explains why the name after the plant matters as much as the plant itself. Alaska is a perfect example: it is not just a shasta daisy in the abstract, it is a shasta daisy with a specific job, a specific history, and specific strengths.

Florida honesty: shasta daisies are a North and Central Florida trial, not a South Florida perennial, and Alaska, as the older type, is a little less heat-tolerant than Becky — give it sun with afternoon shade in the hottest gardens. In North Florida it performs as a long-blooming perennial; in Central Florida, give it a raised bed or sharp drainage, deadhead for rebloom, and treat it as a warm-season perennial that may need replacing after a wet summer.

How to grow

Plant in spring or fall in full sun and well-drained soil — shasta daisies want sun, air, and room. Work worm castings into the bed at planting, mulch to hold moisture, and deadhead spent blooms for rebloom. Divide congested clumps every few years in spring or fall to keep them vigorous, and stake tall types in windy sites.

Set plants 18 inches apart in soil with a pH around 6.0-7.5. Work worm castings into the bed at planting and mulch to hold moisture. A well-fed shasta daisy plant rewards that care directly: steadier growth, better bloom, and a show that actually shows up.

Water & feeding

Keep soil evenly moist but never waterlogged — shasta daisies want steady moisture and good drainage, not swamp and not drought. Water at the soil line, mulch to hold moisture, and feed moderately: castings at planting plus a balanced organic feed in spring. Avoid overhead watering where mildew is a problem, and space for air.

Common problems

• Powdery mildew in humid, crowded plantings — space for air, water at the soil line, and remove affected leaves.
• Flopping tall types — stake Becky in windy sites, and do not overfeed, which makes soft growth.
• Aphids on new growth — blast with water and encourage ladybugs; avoid broad-spectrum sprays.
• Crown rot in wet soil — shastas want moist soil, not standing water; improve drainage and do not plant where rain ponds.
• Short life — shastas are short-lived perennials; divide every few years and replant without mourning.

Harvest

Cut flowers for bouquets from early summer into fall, when daisies are fully open — shasta daisies last well in water and suit every summer arrangement. Deadhead spent blooms for rebloom, leave some seed heads for birds if you like a naturalized look, and divide congested clumps every few years in spring or fall.

Saving seeds

Alaska is a named shasta cultivar, so seed saved from it won’t come true — divide congested clumps in spring or fall to keep it vigorous. The Saving seeds section of the Shasta Daisy guide covers seed for the straight species.