Willamette Fleabane 🛑 Endangered

Erigeron decumbens

Native to:
United States

📍 View on iNaturalist →

Taxonomy

Division:
Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:
Asteraceae
Genus:
Erigeron
Species:
Erigeron decumbens
USDA Symbol:
ERDE3

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:
Perennial
Growth Habit:
Forb/herb
Height:
30 cm
Light Requirements:
Full Sun
Drought Tolerance:
Medium
Bloom Months:
may,jun,jul
Bloom Colors:
white, pink, lavender

Wildlife Benefits

Bees:
★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
Butterflies & Moths:
★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:
★★★☆☆ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)
Pollen Specialist Bee Keystone:
★★★★☆ Native pollen specialist bee species supported by this genus (NWF)

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:
bees, butterflies
Deer Resistant:
Yes
Fire Ecology:
Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
Fire Notes:
Resprouts from basal rosettes following fire; historically found in fire-maintained prairie habitats.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:
moist, well-drained loamy soil
pH:
5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
Drainage:
good drainage required
Moisture:
consistently moist
Notes:
native to wet prairies and meadows

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:
Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days
Germination Time:
14–30 days
Notes:
Seeds require light for germination; surface sow and do not cover.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI

Pre-treatment: Needs 120 days of cool/moist stratification (about 38F) to break dormancy and demonstrate peak germination

Source: npn.rngr.net