July Native Plant of the Month - Showy Fleabane
Erigeron speciosus

by Marilee Henry

Summer months are the showcase for flowers in the daisy/aster family. And there are so many native beauties to grow! Fleabanes (daisies) differ from asters in general in that fleabanes usually have more numerous, narrower ray flowers, are less leafy, and flower slightly earlier. Both groups of natives are important hosts for butterfly and moth larvae/ as well as being good nectar and pollen sources for many pollinators. On top of that, most of these groups are easy to grow and provide beautiful color spots in the garden. What's not to like?

My favorite fleabane, blooming June to July in western Washington, is Erigeron speciosus, or showy fleabane. This plant is medium in height, growing to about 2 to 3 feet, each stem supporting 1 to 20 terminal blooms of colorful purplish-blue (occasionally pink to white) male (pistillate) ray flowers, accented by bright yellow bisexual flowers in the central disk. This perennial occurs on both sides of the Cascades in Washington, ranging from British Columbia south to Arizona, and east to the Northern Rockies and Great Plains. Its natural habitats are prairies and forest openings from sea level to mid elevations.

Showy fleabane is long lived and can tolerate a range of soil types, sun exposures, and moisture regimes, making it a favorite for urban gardens as well as for restoration projects. It attracts many pollinators such as bees, flies, butterflies, and moths. An important mid-summer nectar and pollen source, it is also a host for 20 species of moth or butterfly larva, a critical high-nutrient food for raising baby birds. It is grazed by deer, pocket gophers, ground squirrels, mountain goats, greater sage-grouse, and domestic sheep.

The Thompson and Navajo indigenous peoples made decoctions of showy fleabane for ailments such as menstrual and abdominal cramps, sore throats, and as a salve for swellings.

The genus Erigeron has an interesting propagation strategy: 1) it can reproduce sexually by the combination of genes from a male sperm cell in pollen and a female egg cell in the ovary, 2) it can reproduce asexually by spreading rhizomes, and 3) it can also reproduce asexually through a process called apomixis where the female egg cell develops into an embryo without the mixing of its genes with those from a male sperm cell. This last process produces a daughter plant that is identical to the parent plant, the same as one produced by a rhizome. Though most of showy fleabane's spread is through sexual reproduction, the addition of two other asexual processes aid it in the successful growth of its populations.

Erigeron speciosus is a very popular species easily found at many native plant sales and in native plant nurseries. For best success in your garden, grow this species in full sun with good drainage, though it can tolerate some light shade. Showy fleabane is most attractive in large drifts, in clusters in meadows, along borders, or against backdrops such as logs, fences or buildings. Always plant more than one close together, as they thrive when cross-pollinated with other individuals of their same species. Be sure to leave the spent flowerheads on the plants through fall and winter so they can develop seeds that birds and other animals may use for food. Cut the old stems in late spring to about 12 to 18 inches in length so they can house bees and other insects over the following winter.

You can also collect some seeds for propagation about a month after blooming when the flowerheads look like fluffy little balls that readily pull off their stems. The ripe seed at the end of the fluffy pappus will be brown. Though this species does not strictly require cold stratification to initiate germination, it usually shows greater germination success when planted outside in the ground or in containers in the fall, getting exposure to cold over the winter. With minimal effort, you can fill your garden with numerous patches of these cheerful native daisies while creating needed habitat for birds and beneficial insects!

Always remember, "You are nature's best hope!" - Doug Tallamy, author of "Nature's Best Hope", "Bringing Nature Home", and "How Can I Help? Saving Nature with Your Yard".

Marilee Henry
Kirkland Community Wildlife Habitat Team Member, Washington Native Plant Society (WNPS) Native Plant Steward, Green Kirkland Steward, Finn Hill Neighborhood Alliance Contributor

July Native Plant-Related Event Selection

Green Kirkland Partnership - Habitat Restoration Events
Volunteer to restore native habitat in Kirkland parks.

Saint Edward State Park, Kenmore - Butterflies as Storytellers
Wednesday July 9, 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm. Environmental Education and Research Center (EERC) classroom at Saint Edward State Park in Kenmore. (Parking passes provided!) Free Sign up

King Conservation District - Plants and Pollinators at Mary Olson Farm in Kent
Open house day to learn all about using native plants to support pollinators in your backyard or community garden! This event is a family friendly self-guided tour; come any time during the event and visit with experts at several stations. Saturday, July 12, 11:00 am - 2:00 pm PDT. Free Sign up

Saint Edward State Park, Kenmore - Summer Nature Walks
Saturdays July 19th, August 23rd, and September 13th, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
Meet at the Environmental Education and Research Center (EERC) classroom at Saint Edward State Park, Kenmore. Open to all. For questions email cosee@uw.edu.