Wildflowers in the Lawn: Fleabane

Fleabane (Erigeron) is a cheerful annual that crops up in uncut lawns, pastures and

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roadsides. The tiny flowers have a daisy-like appearance and were once believed to ward off fleas, thus the common name. The genus name Erigeron derives from the Greek words eri  for “early and  geron for “old man” in reference to the white hairs that form on the fruits in this species. 

Fleabanes are a great attractor for bees and other small pollinators and are hosts to several species of moth caterpillars. Several fleabane cultivars have been developed and are sold as ornamental plants. These type of flowers work great in an informal or cottage style garden or mixed in with a meadow style planting.

The USDA lists 191 species of Fleabane with 265 accepted taxa in the genus. As most of the species look incredibly alike I just stick with the genus Erigeron when I see these pretty flowers and don’t try to hard to puzzle out the species.