Photograph by

Susan Alison

Often mistaken for a daisy, Erigeron has long been cloaked in folklore. Its common name, fleabane, hints at its original reputation: a powerful charm to ward off fleas and unwanted spirits. In ancient times, it was scattered around beds, woven into herb bundles, or hung in doorways to protect the home from both insects and evil.

I’ve tried to grow erigeron — I’ve bought it in pots, planted seeds in compost and optimism, attempted cuttings … But … Nothing.

Years of effort, with the consequent results, have always been the same: horticultural disappointment.

And yet now, the second I stop trying, it pops up entirely uninvited — out of cracks in the wall, between the paving slabs, halfway down the drive.

I’ll just pretend that was part of the plan all along.

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Susan Alison

2025