Daisy Fleabane

Chris Stepnitz
Jul 10, 2017 · 3 min read

Growing up, this was always a favorite flower of mine. I called them fake daisies and enjoyed picking them. Little did I know that these pretty native flowers are actually edible and medicinal!

Daisy Fleabane, or Erigeron anuus

So here we have it, Daisy Fleabane. Found everywhere around here, the sunny flowers can be seen along roads, trails, in fields, and along the edge of woods. This particular plant was growing next to a sidewalk. It likes dry, poor soil because in richer environments it is rapidly out-competed by other plants.

These pretty asters often have blooming flowers, buds, and even blossoms gone to seed all on the same plant at the same time. The seeds develop milkweed-like-fluff and are dispersed by the wind. Sometimes the little flowers are more pink or blue than white. I have seen the blue varieties fairly often, but never the pink myself.

For identification purposes, the leaves can be slightly toothed, and both the leaves and the stems are hairy.

I’m fairly certain this is Erigeron anuus. Erigeron strigosus looks very similar, but has fewer leaves and is slightly less hairy.

So now for the interesting stuff. How is this plant useful? Well, in spite of the name, it does not do anything to chase away fleas. Once source states that the name actually refers to the tiny black seeds, which look like fleas.

However, I’ve found it cited all over that the the leaves are edible. Because of the hairs, they really need to be cooked. I don’t, however, see anyone claiming that it tastes good. It seems to be rather unpopular. Your mileage may vary. I also suspect that eating in large quantity would be a bad idea as the leaves are also touted as medicinal.

Daisy Fleabane, Erigeron annuus, growing in a field. It’s actually a hill. A very pretty and nearly vertical hill full of picturesque granite rocks that I precariously climbed, with a four year old in tow, in order to get this nice picture. It was also about 100 degrees. You’re welcome.

I see claims all over that this is a medicinal plant and that caffeic acid in the plant can treat neurodegeneration. I finally found the source, a journal of Chinese Medicine. Apparently Jeong et. al. took some extracts of the plant and examined the compounds. They found that an extract made from the leaf has various compounds that, because of their strong antioxidant capabilities, may protect neural cells — and thus be possibly useful in the future to treat diseases like Alzheimers.

I’m not in a position to judge this study, but it certainly sounds interesting and worthy of further research. I would not, however, attempt making an extract and dosing myself with this plant for anything as serious as Alzheimers Disease. At the best of times, plant extracts have very variable strengths.

It’s apparently also been more traditionally used, depending on preparation, as a diuretic, astringent to stop mild bleeding and soothe hemorrhoids, or to treat severe diarrhea as accompanies Cholera.

((Please note, I’m not a plant scientist so don’t poison yourself by using this as medicine based on this blog. Particularly not if you have Cholera. Go to a doctor for Cholera. Please. Thanks.))

Maryland Wild Plants

Our many parks and green spaces hold thousands of plant varieties of interest. Let’s explore the region and see what we find! Updates MWF.

Chris Stepnitz

Written by

A software architect who loves software, science, plants, and books. To get alerted every time I post a new article, follow me on Facebook!

Maryland Wild Plants

Our many parks and green spaces hold thousands of plant varieties of interest. Let’s explore the region and see what we find! Updates MWF.

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