annual fleabane (Erigeron annuus) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

Annual fleabane is a native wildflower common along roadsides and in old fields in the eastern United States. Its small flower heads have yellow centers surrounded by narrow white or pale lavender flowers that look like petals. Annual fleabane spreads quickly on disturbed ground.

Appearance

Growth form: Usually an annual, sometimes a . Plants grow about 1–5 ft (30–150 cm) tall.
Leaves: Lower leaves, especially those at the base, are coarsely toothed. Upper leaves are smoother, with just a few teeth near the tips. Its toothed, fairly wide stem leaves and spreading stem hairs help tell it apart from prairie fleabane (Erigeron strigosus).
Flowers: Each small flower head has a yellow center ringed by many thin white to pale lavender rays.
Flowering time: In Minnesota, it blooms from June through October; timing varies elsewhere in the United States.

Look-alikes

Philadelphia FleabaneErigeron philadelphicus

Its stem leaves wrap around the stem, and in Minnesota it blooms earlier. Annual fleabane leaves do not clasp the stem.

Why they get mixed upBoth have small white or pale pink daisy-like heads.

Prairie FleabaneErigeron strigosus

Prairie fleabane usually has narrow stem leaves with few or no teeth. Annual fleabane has broader, more clearly toothed leaves.

Why they get mixed upThe flowers are very similar.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: Roadsides
Old fields and pastures
Vacant lots
Railroad edges
Meadows
Range: Native to North America and Central America. It is widespread in the eastern United States, and less frequent in much of the West and far South.
Preferred conditions: Likes full to partial sun and a fair amount of moisture. It isn't fussy about soil and grows fine in gravel or clay.
Flowering: Flowers Jun–Oct
Flowers Jun–Oct

Life cycle

Seed dispersal: The tiny fruits carry a short tuft of hairs that can help them travel on the wind.

Growing it

Propagation: Spreads by seed and quickly colonizes bare or disturbed ground.

Name and classification

About the name: It is also called daisy fleabane. Eastern daisy fleabane is another name for this plant.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed

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