Aspen Fleabane
Erigeron speciosus
- Native to:
- Canada, Mexico, United States
iNaturalist: © danielkennedy (iNaturalist #124202935)
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Asteraceae
- Genus:
- Erigeron
- Species:
- Erigeron speciosus
- USDA Symbol:
- ERSP4
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb , Subshrub
- Height:
- 75 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- jun,jul,aug,sep
- Bloom Colors:
- purple, blue, lavender, pink, white
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
- Caterpillars:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
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)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Reported Fauna Sightings
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- bees, butterflies, beneficial insects
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts from basal crown after fire; commonly found in fire-maintained meadow and open forest communities.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 6.0 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- prefers open meadows and forest edges
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days
- Germination Time:
- 14–28 days
- Notes:
- Seeds require light for germination; surface sow and do not cover. Cold stratification improves germination rates.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
Pre-treatment: Seeds should be plated on 1.5% agar in petri dishes and incubated using six temperature treatments intended to represent different seed sowing times and locations. Alternatively, seeds can be cold stratified for 30 to 60 days.
Establishment: Seeds germinated to nearly 100% in early spring conditions without winter treatment, and had relatively high germination in all three treatments that imposed 12 weeks of winter conditions. Seeding during late winter or early spring may provide sufficient dormancy breaking to allow seeds to germinate. Additional research is needed to confirm the specific minimum temperature conditions needed to break dormancy and allow germination.
Source: npn.rngr.net
ORGHPS Germination Guide: Sow @ 20C. Germinates within 3 months.