Erigeron eatonii
Eaton's fleabane
(c) Tim Messick, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Tim Messick · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Erigeron eatonii (Eaton's fleabane) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by three-veined leaves and bicolored rays.
Eaton's fleabane is a California native perennial found in rocky alpine and subalpine habitats at elevations above 2,500 meters. Flowering from July to August, this plant produces white to lavender ray flowers with rays 7 to 15 millimeters long, creating delicate daisy-like flower heads. Growing with prostrate to erect stems 4 to 33 centimeters tall, it emerges from a slender taproot with minimal branching. Its leaves are linear to narrowly oblanceolate, with basal leaves typically present during flowering and covered in sparse stiff hairs. The flower heads are long-peduncled, with involucres 4.5 to 11 millimeters wide and phyllaries covered in short to long soft hairs.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 51 sympatric species; three-veined leaves and bicolored rays help distinguish
How to tell it apart
vs Bellis: Erigeron has double-layered pappus (outer scales + inner bristles); Bellis completely lacks pappus.; vs Symphyotrichum: Erigeron has double pappus (2 layers); Symphyotrichum has single layer of uniform bristles.; vs Corethrogyne: Erigeron has simple unbranched stems; Corethrogyne has branched stems.; vs Pseudognaphalium: Erigeron has flat button-like flower heads; Pseudognaphalium has woolly clustered heads without rays.; vs Artemisia: Erigeron has obvious ray petals around yellow disk; Artemisia lacks ray petals entirely.
Frequently asked questions
Is Erigeron eatonii native to California?
Yes. Erigeron eatonii is native to California (recorded as native).
What plant family does Erigeron eatonii belong to?
Erigeron eatonii is in the Asteraceae family, genus Erigeron.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.