Bellis - Bellis Habanera

Common Name :	Bellis, English Daisy.
Binomial Name :	Bellis Habanera
Family :	Asteraceae
Photo Taken :	Ireland

Botanical Identity

Bellis 'Habanera' is a cultivated variety of Bellis perennis, commonly known as the English daisy. The Bellis genus belongs to the Asteraceae family and is native to Europe and parts of western Asia. It includes small, hardy perennials known for their rosette-forming habit and cheerful, daisy-like flowers. While wild Bellis perennis is often found in lawns and meadows, cultivated varieties like 'Habanera' have been bred for ornamental use and offer showier blooms in garden settings.

Plant Description

This variety forms low-growing rosettes of spoon-shaped green leaves, usually staying under 15 centimeters tall. Bellis 'Habanera' grows in compact clumps and spreads slowly by short runners. It prefers cool temperatures and moist, well-drained soil, thriving in full sun to partial shade. While often grown as a biennial, it can behave as a short-lived perennial in favorable conditions. Its neat growth habit makes it ideal for borders, containers, and spring bedding displays.

Flowers and Fruit Characteristics

Bellis 'Habanera' produces large, double or semi-double blooms in shades of white, pink, and red, often with contrasting centers. The flowers are densely petaled and can appear fringed or quilled, giving them a more extravagant look than wild types. Blooming begins in early spring and can continue into summer with deadheading. These ornamental blooms are sterile or produce few seeds, so propagation is typically done by division.

Uses and Cultural Significance

Primarily grown for ornamental use, Bellis 'Habanera' is popular in borders, containers, and bedding displays, especially in early spring plantings. The general Bellis genus has been admired since ancient times — Bellis perennis, in particular, symbolizes innocence and purity in Western folklore. While not widely used medicinally today, the species has a history in traditional remedies for wounds and inflammation. In modern gardens, it continues to delight with its cheerful, button-like blooms.

Photos of this Bellis (Bellis Habanera) were taken from the following locations:
1) March 2016: Botanical Garden, Dublin, Ireland.


Written by Lonely Traveler,
For blog icflora.blogspot.com