Kelway Golden Daisy is a cheerful perennial with bright yellow blooms that rise above delicate, feathery foliage, reaching 3 feet tall with flowers averaging 1.5 inches across. Native to the rocky steppes and dry grasslands of the Middle East, this heirloom cultivar of Anthemis tinctoria thrives in poor soil and full sun, making it genuinely care-free once established. Hardy from zones 3 to 8, it attracts honeybees and other pollinators with abundant blooms throughout the season, and it has been prized for centuries as a traditional dye plant that yields a gorgeous golden color.
12
Full Sun
Low
3-8
?in H x ?in W
—
Moderate
Hover over chart points for details
Golden Daisy lives up to its name with cheerful yellow blooms that keep coming all season long in full sun and poor soil. Its lacy foliage gives the plant an airy, cottage-garden charm, and it's shockingly attractive to honeybees and other pollinators. As a traditional dye plant, it offers gardeners a direct connection to historical textile work, yielding a beautiful golden dye from its flowers.
Kelway Golden Daisy is grown primarily as an ornamental perennial, bringing cheerful color to borders, cottage gardens, and sunny landscapes where it blooms prolifically. Its secondary use is as a traditional dye plant; the flowers are harvested and processed to yield rich golden dyes for natural textile work. Beyond the garden, its prolific flowering and pollinator magnetism make it valuable for supporting honeybee populations and creating wildlife-friendly landscapes.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Sow seeds indoors in a seed-starting mix, maintaining soil temperatures between 60 and 75°F for germination. Start seeds 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost to give plants time to develop before transplanting outdoors.
Harden off seedlings gradually over 7 to 10 days by exposing them to increasing amounts of direct sun and wind before moving them to their permanent location. Transplant outdoors after the last frost date in your region, spacing plants 12 inches apart in full sun and well-draining soil.
Direct sow seeds in spring after the last frost date, pressing them lightly onto prepared soil and keeping the area consistently moist until germination occurs.
For dye work, harvest flowers when they are fully open and at peak color, typically mid to late summer. Pick flowers in the morning after the dew has dried, and use them fresh or dry them for later dyeing. The entire flower head can be harvested, though some dyers prefer to work with petals alone.
Deadhead spent flowers regularly to promote continuous blooming and maintain the plant's neat appearance. In late fall or early spring, cut back the entire plant to about 4 to 6 inches above ground level to rejuvenate growth and prevent the clump from becoming woody and sparse.
Enter your ZIP code to see a personalized growing calendar for this plant.
“Anthemis tinctoria, commonly called Marguerite daisy, hails from the rocky steppes and dry grasslands of the Middle East, where it evolved to flourish in harsh conditions with minimal water and poor soil. The Kelway cultivar represents generations of selection for improved ornamental qualities and vigor, carrying forward the plant's ancient role as a dye source while refining it as a garden perennial. This heirloom designation reflects its preservation through traditional growing methods and seed-saving practices, ensuring home gardeners today can grow the same vibrant plant that dyers and cottage gardeners cultivated for centuries.”