Erigeron philadelphicus (Common fleabane)

Erigeron philadelphicus L.

Common fleabane

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Asteridae	A large class that encompasses asters
Order	Asterales	Flowering plants with a central disk flower and surrounding petals, like daisies
Family	Asteraceae	The aster family, which also includes daisies and sunflowers; from the Greek ἀστήρ, “star,” for the star-shaped flowers
Genus	Erigeron	From Greek eri, “early,” and geron, “old man,” for the fluffy white seed heads and early flowering
Species	philadelphicus	“From Philadelphia”

About plant names...

Common fleabane is native to North America.

Identification: Plants are up to 3' (1 m) high, with ribbed stems covered with soft white hairs. The hairs grow outward from the stem, rather than lying against it as with some species. A basal rosette of leaves consists of a spatula-shaped leaves up to 4" (10 cm) × 1" (3 cm). The leaves have coarse serrations and may be rounded or pointed at the tip. They may be lance-shaped, but show a wide range of shapes. Leaves higher on the stem usually clasp the stem. Flowers are pale pink, sometimes white, up to ½-¾" (1.3-1.9 cm) around, with 100-300 petals (more than any other fleabane) and a yellow central disk. The petals are so fine that they often look a bit disheveled, like windblown hair. They flower from April to June. The achenes (seeds) have tiny parachutes, like those of dandelions.

7/7/2012 · Gibbet Hill, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 4 × 6" (10 × 15 cm) ID is uncertain

4/8/2012 · North Central Railroad Trail, Monkton Rd, Sparks, Maryland
≈ 4½ × 3½" (11 × 9.1 cm) ID is uncertain

Here are some similar fleabanes:

	*Erigeron annuus*	*Erigeron filifolius*	You are here Erigeron philadelphicus
Common Name	daisy fleabane	threadleaf daisy	common fleabane
Plant	Up to 5' (1.5 m) high. Stems have white hairs that grow *outward from the stem*.	Up to 24" (60 cm) in height. Stems have dense stiff white hairs. Plants are found at elevations between 4000-6500' (1.2-2.0 km).	Up to 3' (1 m) high, with ribbed stems covered with soft white hairs. The hairs grow *outward from the stem*.
Flowers	White or light pink, about ½" (1.3 cm) across, over 100 narrow petals and yellow centers. Flowers from *April to November*.	Flowers may be white, but they are usually violet in color.	Flowers are pale pink, sometimes white, up to ½-¾" (1.3-1.9 cm) around, with 100-300 petals (*more than any other fleabane) and a yellow central disk. They flower from April to June*.
Leaves	Leaves alternate, attached to stem but not wrapped around it. Upper leaves narrow and pointed at the ends, with *coarse teeth* or sometimes no teeth. Lower leaves are more egg-shaped.	Leaves are very narrow.	Basal leaves are spatula-shaped, up to 4" (10 cm) × 1" (3 cm), with *coarse teeth. Upper leaves may be lance-shaped, but show a wide range of shapes. They usually clasp the stem*.
Range/ Zones	USDA Zones: 3a-8a		USDA Zones: 2-7
Habitats	Moist or semi-moist disturbed areas, pastures, abandoned fields, roadsides		Moist soils at the edges of fresh bodies of water, waste areas, fields, roadsides
Type	Wild	Wild	Wild
Occurrence	Common		Common

	*Erigeron strigosus*
Common Name	rough fleabane
Plant	These plants have an erect stem that has many fine white hairs, and are 12-36" (30-91 cm) tall. The hairs are antrorse strigose—they *lie down against the stem, in the upward direction*.
Flowers	White, about ½" (1.5 cm) in diameter, with 50-100 petals, and a yellow central disk. They flower from *May to September*.
Leaves	Mostly narrow, with a few fatter in the center, attached directly to the stem but not wrapped around it. Leaves *mostly untoothed*.
Range/ Zones
Habitats	Dry prairies, well-lit woods and fields, disturbed ground, roadsides
Type	Wild
Occurrence	Common

Edibility: Not edible. May cause a contact dermatitis in some individuals.

Online References:

Erigeron philadelphicus on Missouriplants.com

Erigeron philadelphicus at Illinois Wildflowers

Erigeron philadelphicus on CalPhotos

Erigeron philadelphicus at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Erigeron philadelphicus on Plants for a Future, a resource and information centre for edible and otherwise useful plants

Erigeron philadelphicus on the USDA Plants Database

Erigeron philadelphicus on Calflora

Erigeron philadelphicus on eFloras

References:

Peterson, Roger Tory, McKenny, Margaret, Peterson Field Guides: A Field Guide to Wildflowers of Northeastern and North Central North America, Houghton Mifflin, 1968, p. 308

Newcomb, Lawrence, Morrison, Gordon (Illus.), Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide, Little, Brown and Company, 1977, p. 382

6/22/2016 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Groton, Massachusetts

7/7/2012 · Gibbet Hill, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 4 × 2½" (10 × 7.3 cm) ID is uncertain

4/8/2012 · North Central Railroad Trail, Monkton Rd, Sparks, Maryland
≈ 3½ × 3½" (9.2 × 8.9 cm) ID is uncertain

5/25/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 4½ × 3" (11 × 7.9 cm)

4/8/2012 · North Central Railroad Trail, Monkton Rd, Sparks, Maryland
≈ 7 × 10" (18 × 25 cm) ID is uncertain

Erigeron philadelphicus description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 16 Sep 2020.

4/8/2012 · North Central Railroad Trail, Monkton Rd, Sparks, Maryland
≈ 11 × 7" (27 × 18 cm) ID is uncertain

6/22/2016 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts

6/22/2016 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Groton, Massachusetts

6/22/2016 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts

Range: Zones 2-7:

About this map...