Leucanthemum plant named ‘Dream Big’

Botanical classification:x(Bergmans ex J. W. Ingram) D. H. Kent.

Variety denomination: ‘Dream Big’.

The first offer for sale anywhere in the world was made by Walters Gardens, Inc. to Prides Corner Farms on Oct. 11, 2025. Walters Gardens, Inc. obtained the new plant and all information about the new plant directly from the inventor. No plants of‘Dream Big’ have been sold or offered for sale, in this country or anywhere in the world, nor has any disclosure of the new plant been made, more than one year prior to the filing date of this application, and such sale or disclosure within one year was either derived directly or indirectly from the inventor.

The originalx, or Shasta daisies, were bred by Luther Burbank in the late 1800's as a cross between(Ramond) DC. with(Vaill.) Lam.,(Broth.) Samp. and. The new plant,‘Dream Big’ originated from a planned breeding program of the inventor at a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, MI, USA. The newwas a single plant selected from a group of seedlings from a cross on Jul. 6, 2021, between the proprietary unreleased, unnamed proprietary hybrid known only by the breeder code 20-11-1 (not patented) as the female parent and the proprietary unreleased, unnamed proprietary hybrid known only by the breeder code 20-11-5 (not patented) as the male parent. The seeds were harvested on Sep. 1, 2020. The individual selected plant that eventually became ‘Dream Big’ was first evaluated in the summer of 2022 and given the breeder number 21-14-14 through the subsequent evaluations.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Shasta daisy botanically known asxand hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Dream Big’ or the new plant.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by division at the same nursery in Zeeland, MI beginning in the summer of 2022 has demonstrated that the new cultivar reproduces true to type with all the characteristics of the original plant retained through successive generations of asexual propagation. The new plant has since been asexually propagated by basal shoot tip cuttings and sterile shoot tip tissue culture.

The new plant is most closely compared to: ‘Becky’ (not patented), ‘Daisy Duke’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,914, ‘Marshmallow’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 33,878, ‘Snowcap’ (not patented), and ‘Spoonful of Sugar’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 28,760.

‘Becky’ has a taller habit and has smaller inflorescences without lateral branching. ‘Daisy Duke’ is slightly shorter in habit with smaller inflorescences without lateral branching. ‘Marshmallow’ has a much shorter habit with narrower and more numerous ray florets. ‘Real Snowball’ has a shorter more mounded habit, and smaller inflorescences over a longer flowering season. ‘Snowcap’ has a shorter habit and smaller inflorescences. ‘Spoonful of Sugar’ has a much shorter habit and larger inflorescences.

The female and male were taller with weaker stems and shorter lateral branching at the end of the stems.

‘Dream Big’ differs from all cultivars known to the inventor in the following combined traits:

The following descriptions and color references are based on the 2015 edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where common dictionary terms are used. The new plant has not been observed in all possible environments and conditions. The phenotype of‘Dream Big’ may vary with different growing conditions such as changes in temperature, light intensity, water availability, and nutrition, but without change in the genotype.

The plants used for description purposes were three-year-old and were grown in Zeeland, MI in a full-sun, loamy-sand trial plot environment with supplemental water and limited fertilizer as needed and also a partially-shaded greenhouse. Summer temperatures range from night lows of about 10° C. to daytime highs of about 34° C. Measurements and numerical values represent ranges of trial plants.

‘Dream Big’ grows best with adequate moisture but can tolerate some dryness once established. Vernalization is not required for flowering but is beneficial in providing uniformity and flower abundance. The new plant is tolerant of high temperatures of at least 36° and cold hardy to at least USDA zone 5 as well as strong wind and rain. Other disease or pest resistance beyond that common to Shasta daisy has not been observed.