Erigeron, fleabane: planting, growing

Description and botany

The Erigeron, also known as fleabane or wall daisy is a small perennial belonging to family Asteraceae, like asters and daisies.

The genus Erigeron includes about 200 species, sometimes annual, more often perennial, native to meadows and mountainous areas of America and Mexico, and many hybrids and cultivars derived notably from Erigeron speciosus such as ‘Grandiflorus’, or from very tall varieties like ‘Dunkelste Aller’ or ‘Rosa Triumph’.

Erigeron karvinskianus and Erigeron alpinus are also among the species most commonly found in gardens.

From a rhizomatous rootstock, Erigeron quickly forms a dense herbaceous clump with a bushy, spreading habit, often candelabra-like, ranging from 0.10 cm for the most compact alpine fleabanes up to 0.75 m in flower, with almost as much spread for the tall cultivars. While most can spread widely by their rhizomes, sometimes becoming invasive, the creeping alpine species rarely exceed 0.15 m across.

Erigeron alpinus – botanical illustration

At the end of spring, flexible, upright stems, more or less ramified in their upper parts, bearing foliage that becomes deciduous around -5°C, emerge. They are punctuated by narrow, lanceolate to ovate leaves, 3 to 12 cm long, arranged alternately. The mid stems are often longer than the central stem. Generally downy, leaves range from bright green to dark green and greyish green.

From this dense plant mass, more or less tall, emerge the flowers, solitary or gathered in corymbs of 4 to 20 flowers at the tips of the many flexible shoots.

From May–June, with a good repeat in September–October, even until December in the mildest regions, Erigeron reveals its long and abundant flowering very similar to that of asters.

A multitude of flowers in simple, semi-double (Erigeron speciosus ‘Rosa Jewel’) or double heads (Erigeron ‘Professor Korodi’), 1 to 7 cm in diameter, open throughout summer, recalling daisy flowers or small oxeye daisies. The small yellow centre is surrounded by a collar of very fine petals or ligules closely set, arranged in one or two radiating rows.

They offer a wide palette of fresh colours ranging from pure white to soft pink, deep violet to purplish red, pale mauve to lavender blue.

They are also good melliferous flowers, attracting many pollinating insects and butterflies from May until first frosts.

Once pollinated, these head inflorescences give way to fruits, achene, whose egret of bristles evoke airy little old-man heads crowned with white hair, hence the name which in Latin means “old”.

Like dandelion flowers, the wind will scatter these seeds which will self-seed wherever they fall.

Very long-lasting in a vase, flowers of the tallest fleabanes are lovely in delicate country bouquets.

With good hardiness, slightly variable by species, around -10 to -15°C in well-drained soil, Erigeron or fleabane is an easy-to-grow plant, perfect for colonising poor spots in summer, forming vigorous vegetative mats in rockeries, as groundcover, in borders, on flowering walls or in stone troughs depending on variety size. Grow Erigeron in full sun, in rich, well-drained soil.

Erigeron ‘Azur Beauty’

Main species and varieties

Most popular

Our favourites

Erigeron Dunkelste Aller

A unique large variety bearing large violet flowers. Easy to use in flowerbeds, borders or beds.

• Flowering time July, August
• Height at maturity 60 cm

See the full description

Erigeron karvinskianus

Forms attractive low, mat-forming clumps. Favours rockeries, low walls and paving, colonising poor, very dry spots in summer.

• Flowering time June to November
• Height at maturity 20 cm

See the full description

Erigeron speciosus Grandiflorus

One of the tallest Erigerons! Very floriferous, it will flower abundantly all summer on tall stems! Perfect for sunny beds and for bouquets!

• Flowering time July to September
• Height at maturity 70 cm

See the full description

Erigeron speciosus Rosa Jewel

A pretty perennial of very soft colour. Essential in beds, rockeries and meadows!

• Flowering time July to September
• Height at maturity 60 cm

See the full description

 

Erigeron Rosa Triumph

A vivid pink displayed by double flowers. Forms a carpet-like mat ideal as groundcover to dress the edge of a bed, for example.

• Flowering time July to October
• Height at maturity 60 cm

See the full description

Erigeron Professor Korodi

This variety has a slight spring-daisy look. Ideal for groundcover or for edging beds.

• Flowering time July to October
• Height at maturity 50 cm

See the full description

Planting

Where to plant Erigerons or fleabanes?

Very hardy, around -15 °C and lower, the Erigerons can be grown in all regions. Note that montane species such as Erigeron alpinus are the most cold-resistant, with hardiness down to -20 °C.

These sun-loving perennials need a sunny position but can tolerate slight shade during hottest hours.

Most prefer well-drained, rather dry, even rocky or stony soil. This is generally the case for montane species such as Erigeron karvinskianus, which tolerate drier conditions in calcareous rockeries and do not tolerate any stagnant moisture at their collar. Conversely, other varieties prefer rich soils that stay cool in summer.

Not demanding in general, they will make do with ordinary soil provided it is well drained; relative dryness in summer is always preferable to overly wet soils.

Choose a spot sheltered from wind, which can bend cultivars with very tall stems.

Fleabanes bring a pleasing unity to borders. Plant larger varieties, such as Erigeron speciosus ‘Grandiflorus’ in beds, while smaller ones suit slightly dry spots neglected by other plants to dress a rockery or edge a dry-stone wall, a path or a sunny border, to flower between paving slabs or in wall crevices.

Certain Erigerons integrate very well in pots, troughs or hanging baskets on sunny balconies and terraces.

When to plant Erigeron or fleabane?

We recommend planting Erigeron or fleabane in autumn, although planting bucket-grown specimens at start of spring is also possible.

How to plant Erigerons or fleabanes?

In open ground

For a good groundcover or a striking effect in a bed, allow about 5 to 8 plants per m². Planting distance varies: from 0.20 m for small creeping varieties to 0.50–0.60 m width for larger ones. Avoid planting in heavy, compacted soil.

• Dig a hole slightly deeper than the rootball.
• Place your fleabane without burying the collar
• Backfill with potting compost
• Firm gently.
• Stake if necessary
• Mulch
• Water well

In a pot

• Spread a good layer of drainage (gravel or clay balls) at bottom of container
• Place bucket-grown specimen in a mix of ordinary soil and potting compost
• Water regularly

→ En savoir plus sur la growing Erigeron in a pot in our advice sheet

Care and maintenance

Erigeron or Fleabane requires no special care to remain floriferous and vigorous. However, you can cut off spent flowers as they appear to prolong flowering as long as possible.  In prolonged drought, flowering may dry up, only to resume with renewed vigour on arrival of autumn.

A mulch to keep soil cool and a few sparing waterings will be necessary in dry weather.

If growing Erigeron in a pot, water more regularly to prevent substrate from drying out too much.

It is preferable to stake the taller varieties.

After flowering, you can cut the plant back hard, shortening stems by half or cutting back to ground level with a pruning shear. It will reshoot vigorously in spring and retain a neat, bushy, compact habit.

Each spring, and especially if plant shows signs of decline, divide clumps to restore vigour. This will also help control their spread!

Possible diseases and pests

Like its cousin aster, Erigeron has few enemies: gastropods that relish young shoots. As a precaution, you can spread wood ash and, above all, follow all our advice to keep them away in our advice sheets: « Slugs: 7 effective ways to fight naturally ».

Soil must always be well drained to avoid seeing downy mildew. This disease is favoured in overly cramped conditions, in hot, rainy weather or in soil that is too heavy and damp. To prevent and fight powdery mildew, follow our advice: « Powdery mildew or white disease: prevention and treatment ».

Multiplication

Division

• Avec une fourche bêche tranchante, déterrez la touffe
• Séparez en quelques éclats munis de racines
• Replantez immédiatement au jardin dans un sol bien préparé
• Arrosez copieusement pour faciliter la reprise

Associating

With its simple flowers, Erigeron or Fleabane lets you quickly create charming, bucolic scenes in every corner of the garden. It thrives in gardens of every style, bringing colour, cheer, lightness and volume.

A pretty flowering scene: Erigeron karvinskianus, Anchusa azurea ‘Loddon Royalist’

It is particularly suited to romantic atmospheres of white gardens or pink, mauve or purple schemes, or for creating wild-looking, fresh or vibrant scenes in a natural garden. Its pastel or intense shades easily blend with other summer-flowering perennials.

For a country scene, mix tall cultivars with peach-leaved campanulate bellflowers, paniculate Phlox, Veronicas, Leucanthemums, Gypsophila, shrub sages, valerians.

In rockeries or mixed-border, the smallest fleabanes form low, spreading clumps that are covered with small daisies right through to autumn, perfect paired with pretty low plants that enjoy the same conditions such as Nepeta racemosa, Geranium sanguineum, Thymus capitatus, or taller plants like cosmos or gauras.

Low varieties will form floriferous groundcovers alongside sedums, neatly masking the base of shrub roses.

A planting idea for a border: Salvia nemorosa ‘April Night’, Knautia arvensis and Erigeron karvinskianus

In a sunny summer border, it will shine alongside nemesia, nigellas, achilleas, knautia.

In a romantic blue-toned border, the large heads of Allium and Agapanthus, Buenos-Aires verbenas or the spikes of delphiniums will rise majestically above clumps of fleabanes.

In a white garden, white fleabane varieties pair with white Eremurus, foxgloves or white persicarias.

Its delicate flowering pairs wonderfully with grasses such as stipa, tussock-forming canches or pennisetum in abundant scenes in the spirit of sun-loving naturalistic meadows.

Erigerons are perfect for creating an autumn border, surrounded by asters, immortelles and echinaceas that will flower until first frosts.

→ Discover 7 more ideas for pairing Erigerons