Common Fleabane, Erigeron philadelphicus, Native Minnesota Wildflower plant, Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden, Philadelphia Fleabane

	Plants of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden
	Common Name	Scientific Name	Plant Family	Garden Location	Prime Season
	Philadelphia Fleabane	Erigeron philadelphicus L.	Aster (Asteraceae)	Upland	Late Spring to Fall
Other names and notes	(Common Fleabane). There are a number of Fleabanes. They all have numerous rays of various colors surrounding a flat yellow disk. Philadelphia Fleabane has flower heads, 1/2 to 1 inch wide with usually 100 to 150 rays. The upper leaves on the stem are toothed and clasp the stem, which will have soft hair. There are also toothed basal leaves forming a rosette. Flowers can be whitish or pinkish. The inflorescence is a branched cluster atop a (usually) unbranched stem. Open flowers close at night. The plant is a biennial and requires moist soil and full sun to grow best, but it will tolerate a variety of soils. Pollination is by butterflies, moths and bees. It can be invasive in certain conditions so if you plant it, watch for excessive seed germination.


Above: Philadelphia Fleabane flower heads have 100 to 150 individual rays.	Above: The basal rosette of leaves formed the first year of the plants biennial cycle.

Below: The inflorescence branches into multiple flower heads. The main stem may branch at the top into several inflorescence branches.	Below: The stem and stem leaves are hairy with the leaf clasping the stem - unlike the other 2 fleabanes.	Below: A basal leaf is toothed like the stem leaves but may lack the hair of the stem leaves.

Notes: Philadelphia Fleabane is found throughout the United States except for Utah and Arizona, and most of Canada. In Minnesota, it has been reported in all counties except for eight widely scattered exceptions. Curiously, it is not considered indigenous to the Garden as Eloise Butler did not record its presence. There is native medicinal use of the plant reported for various groups, particularly the Cherokee and Houma, who used the roots and leaves.

For a comparison of the three Fleabanes see this page - Fleabanes

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References: Plant characteristics are generally from sources 15, 16, 30, 31, 33, W2 & W3. Distribution principally from W2 and also 31, 34 and W1. Planting history generally from 1, 4 & 4a. Other sources by specific reference. See Reference List for details.

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