Piedmont Natives: Daisy fleabane

Fleabane (Erigeron annuus)
Daisy fleabane (Erigeron annuus)

Some people would consider Daisy fleabane a weed, since it tends to pop up uninvited in unexpected places.

But I’m a big defender of many so-called weeds, including fleabane, which is a member of the aster family and a favorite of native bees and small insects. It’s tough, easy to grow, and I think its dainty white-and-yellow flowers are pretty.

It’s a better sight on the summer landscape than some tropical plant that subsists on hose water and chemicals.