The daisy used to be called the ‘day’s eye’.

The daisy used to be called the ‘day’s eye’.

The daisy used to be called the ‘day’s eye’.

The ancient Greeks called this common white and yellow flower dæges eage(day’s eye) because its petals open at dawn and close at dusk. The name stuck, and over the centuries the phrase was pared down, from the Old English word dægesege to its contemporary equivalent, “daisy”.