Our Love Letter to Daisy
By the Seed SistAs
When we were studying herbalism at university, our curriculum was pretty much a tour of exotic botanicals. Ginsengs from the East, echinacea blooms from the prairie, gingko leaves fluttering through ancient Chinese texts…Our tutor regularly travelled to India, and was a great lover of Ayerveda so we learnt about Indian herbs in black and white on an overhead projector! Not the most fascinating way to learn herbalism!
But amid the buzz around imported roots and herbs and blooms, we couldn’t help but notice a silence. There was little to no mention of the humble, homegrown herbs — the ones quietly thriving beneath our feet. Plants like self-heal, heather, and most unassumingly, Bellis perennis — the common daisy.
It was this omission that stirred our curiosity. Why were the everyday plants — the ones we played with as children, the ones growing in every schoolyard and roadside — not deemed worthy of attention in the academic herbal sphere? We began to wonder: what secrets had we overlooked? What wisdom lived in these overlooked blooms? So this is the story of how we connect with daisies, and the healing treasures they gift us.
Magic of the Humble Daisy
One spring afternoon, after a particularly dreamy yoga class, we decided to lounge a little longer in the field behind the studio. It was in the heart of Hertfordshire — all lush green rolling land and birdsong. The sun was warm, the scent of wild grasses rising. We lay back in the soft meadow and as we opened our eyes, we were met with a sea of daisies. A breathtaking, unending carpet of white and gold — thousands of tiny suns shining up at us from the earth.
Instinctively, we started to pick them. One by one. Each daisy head made the sweetest little pop as we plucked it, a sound so delicate and satisfying that we found ourselves completely captivated. Pop… pop-pop… pop. We threaded our fingers between the blooms, weaving through the living tapestry of green and white, laughing and giggling in pure joy. There was something deeply innocent in that moment — a return to childhood, to unselfconscious play. The daisy, it seemed, had cast a spell of lightness and delight upon us.
Time slipped. The sun shifted. Still, we couldn’t stop picking. Every time we thought to leave, the daisies seemed to whisper, “Just one more.” We’d get up, turn our backs — and then, compelled, we’d stoop again for another bloom. It was joyous, yes, but oddly compulsive way to connect with daisies. Irresistible. The daisy wanted to come with us — or perhaps, wanted us to stay with it. By the time we finally left the field, arms full and hearts fluttery, we were late. Little six-year-old Harry was standing outside his school gate, the last child waiting. Whoops.
And did we stop there? No. We had picked so many daisies that we couldn’t possibly use them all in our usual syrups and tinctures. We turned the harvest into a batch of “Daisy Delight” syrup — so fragrant, so cheerful — but there was simply too much of it. Our fridge overflowed. In a flurry of herbal hilarity, we resorted to the local free ads and ended up acquiring a giant American double-door fridge just to house all our daisy syrup. Yes, really.
Daisy’s Spiritual Energy
It wasn’t until later, that we discovered Dr. Edward Bach, the flower remedy pioneer, writing on daisy — he had connected the energy of daisy with compulsive behaviour patterns. Of course! We laughed out loud reading that. We didn’t need a textbook to tell us; the daisy had already shown us that. Through our own experience, the plant had mirrored something profound — this magnetic pull to repeat a joyful action again and again, beyond reason. A beautiful lesson dressed as obsession.
And to this day, twenty-two years on, we still reach for daisy when working with clients experiencing obsessive-compulsive tendencies. Daisy remains a gentle ally for those stuck in loops, reminding them — with kindness — that there is another way. That joy can be found outside the cycle.
That moment in the meadow was our first real teacher in the truth that plants communicate. Not metaphorically, not symbolically — but truly. Directly. Bellis perennis spoke to us that day. Not through words, but through experience. She said, “Here I am. I will show you what I’m for. Pick me, spread me about to everyone, I am medicine.”
Daisy’s message is simple and powerful: “I help people bounce back.”
Daisy is often the first herb that everyone knows — not because they were taught the name in a classroom, but because they played with this flower. For so many of us, Daisy was the very first creative interaction with nature. Sitting cross-legged in the grass, threading tiny white stems into daisy chains with the patience and precision of childhood, we learned how to make beauty from the land with our own hands and catapult how to we connect with daisies. How many little hearts beat faster with each petal pulled in the age-old chant, he loves me, he loves me not? The daisy was so often our first oracle, our first artist’s material, our first medicine of joy — long before we knew such things had names or power. It’s no wonder this plant still calls to us.
Daisy connects us to innocence, to beginnings, to light. The botanical name Bellis perennis literally means “everlasting beauty,” and it’s not hard to see why. These flowers are ever-cheerful, ever-returning. When the mower comes rumbling through, daisy doesn’t panic — she simply bows her head, tucking herself just low enough to escape the blades. Step on her, and she yields with grace, bending but never breaking. And once the weight lifts, she springs back up, cheerful as ever. Mowed down, trodden on, overlooked — still, she returns. A quiet, joyful defiance rooted in resilience.
Healing with Daisy Remedies
This is why we now use daisy as a remedy not just for OCD, but for anyone who feels knocked down by life. Anyone bruised — emotionally or physically. It is, quite fittingly, a traditional bruisewort. Daisy contains saponins, which help break down pooled or clotted blood — making it wonderful for bumps and bruises. Just mash a few fresh petals with a bit of water and apply directly to the skin. We’ve used it on everything from toddler tumbles to sprained ankles.
But the saponins don’t stop there. They also work as expectorants — making daisy a gentle lung tonic. A fresh daisy tea can help shift lingering coughs, especially those that sit stubbornly in the chest, where emotion and breath entwine. It supports the breath — and with it, the spirit.
The name, too, holds magic. Day’s Eye. The flower closes at night and opens again with the dawn, like a tiny, living sundial. It’s no surprise that daisy has long been associated with vision — both literal and symbolic. Good for the eyes, yes, but also for clarity. For seeing the world with fresh eyes. Child’s eyes.
Over the years, we’ve come to see Bellis perennis as one of the most generous plant spirits in our apothecary. Prolific, abundant, ever-giving. A flower of play, but also of profound healing connecting joy with resilience. Laughter with medicine. Showing us that we don’t always need to seek wisdom in far-flung corners of the globe — sometimes it’s right there, under our toes.
And Daisy taught us one of the most important lessons of all: Plants will show you what they do, if you’re willing to listen.
So now, each spring, when the daisies return, we go out into the meadows and gather a few — mindfully this time, not compulsively. We press them into oils, stir them into syrups, and tincture their brightness into bottles. And every time, we give thanks…
To the little flower that taught us how to see.
To the day’s eye, that watches us grow.
Curious to know more about the playful joy from a daisy, or the healing gifts she shares? We explore daisy’s character, medicine and generous nature in The Sensory Herbal Handbook where you can also find uplifting recipes from daisy flowers.
These blog articles are herbal education resources, produced by the Seed Sistas. Gain insights and join us in the evolution of healthcare, please do leave a comment or question. Wellbeing empowerment for all…
Thank you for this beautiful and loving celebration of the Daisy. Just what I needed to read today.