Often dismissed as a weed along roadways or in parks, this is another native: Daisy Fleabane (Erigeron strigosus). Most Fleabanes are daisy-like but much tinier than true daisys producing flowers only about half of an inch wide. Name origins are always fun: in Greek, Erigeron means “old Man” because of hairs on the plants’ stems. The common name of Fleabane is so named because it’s believed it subtle odor repells fleas. Some also believed it would repel evil spirits. Years ago, I was surprisingly happy to see them “volunteer” in my garden; a welcome guest. Copyright 2023 Pamela Breitberg
