Erigeron foliosus
Leafy fleabane
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Erigeron foliosus (Leafy fleabane) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by graduated phyllaries and evenly distributed cauline leaves.
Leafy fleabane is a California native perennial herb found throughout California's diverse mountain and coastal regions in open grasslands, chaparral, and woodland habitats. Flowering from May to September, this plant produces lavender ray flowers in daisy-like heads 10 to 16 millimeters wide, with 15 to 60 delicate petals that weakly curl when dry. Growing with ascending stems 20 to 100 centimeters tall, it develops from woody roots and often has slender, branching stems that are sparsely hairy. Its leaves are thread-like to widely oblanceolate, ranging from 10 to 80 millimeters long, evenly distributed along the stem and edged with fine appressed hairs. The plant's delicate flower heads feature graduated phyllary series and emerge from a branching, somewhat hairy stem structure.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 72 sympatric species; graduated phyllaries and evenly distributed cauline leaves 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 foliosus native to California?
Yes. Erigeron foliosus is native to California (recorded as native).
What plant family does Erigeron foliosus belong to?
Erigeron foliosus is in the Asteraceae family, genus Erigeron.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Erigeron foliosus var. confinis — Leafy fleabane
- Erigeron foliosus var. foliosus — Leafy fleabane
- Erigeron foliosus var. franciscensis — Franciscan erigeron
- Erigeron foliosus var. hartwegii — Hartweg's fleabane
- Erigeron foliosus var. mendocinus — Mendocino erigeron
- Erigeron glacialis — Subalpine fleabane
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.