Erigeron speciosus Seeds | Oregon Fleabane
LATIN NAME: Erigeron speciosus
COMMON NAME: Oregon Fleabane
Plant Profile
Erigeron speciosus, commonly known as Oregon Fleabane, is a species in the family Asteraceae with a long record in gardens. Bees find the flowers quickly, and that pollinator traffic is a garden benefit in its own right. It is hard to name another plant that gives this much for this little trouble.
Science & Biotechnology
Erigeron speciosus sits in Asteraceae, a group that keeps botanists, horticulturists and plant breeders busy with questions of classification, adaptation and ornamental potential. Erigeron species are useful in research on Asteraceae floral morphology, pollination and plant adaptation. Nothing exotic is required: standard seed-sowing practice, done carefully, is enough.
Uses & Benefits
Gardeners value Oregon Fleabane for its ornamental character, and the plant also fits naturally into herb, vegetable and cutting gardens. Oregon fleabane is valued in native and naturalistic gardens, meadow borders and pollinator plantings. Its fine flowers combine well with grasses and other perennials, while the plant’s open form avoids dense appearance of many highly selected bedding plants. Beyond the establishment year, its needs are simple and few.
Fleabanes are cheery daisies with folk records as diuretic and astringent teas; in the garden they are long-blooming pollinator staples.
Growing from Seed
Oregon Fleabane is one of those generous plants that come along well from seed. Sow seed on surface of a well-drained medium and press lightly for good seed-to-soil contact. Keep moisture even while seedlings establish and provide bright light. Fill a pot with a light seed compost, sow evenly on the surface, cover thinly and stand it somewhere warm, bright and evenly moist. Pot the young plants on as they grow, harden them off gradually, and plant them into their final positions when sturdy.
Our Take
It is a solid representative of the Erigeron group, true to type from seed. Attention to moisture in the first weeks pays off; later, the plant is forgiving.
Related Reading
More species in the same orbit as Oregon Fleabane: