Erigeron glacialis var. glacialis
Wandering fleabane
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Erigeron glacialis var. glacialis (Wandering fleabane) is a native California perennial in the Asteraceae family, recognized by hair type on peduncles helps distinguish from var. hirsutus.
Wandering fleabane is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, high Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, Warner Mountains, and eastern Sierra Nevada in clearings, talus slopes, and alpine meadows at elevations of 1,300 to 3,400 meters. Flowering from July to September, this plant produces white to lavender flowers with yellow centers in delicate daisy-like heads. Growing with slender stems 10 to 30 centimeters tall, it forms loose, spreading clusters in alpine and subalpine environments. Its leaves are glabrous or sparsely long-soft-hairy, with basal leaves forming a low rosette and stem leaves becoming progressively smaller upward. The plant's delicate inflorescence features peduncles covered in densely minute, slightly crinkled strigose hairs, giving it a distinctive appearance in high-elevation habitats.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 62 sympatric species; hair type on peduncles helps distinguish from var. hirsutus
Habitat and range
Habitat: Clearings, talus, alpine meadows
Elevation: 1300-3400 m
California counties: Fresno, Del Norte, El Dorado, Mono, Tulare, Tuolumne, Inyo, Modoc, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Kern, Plumas, Shasta, Tehama, Trinity, Alpine, Madera, Mariposa, Nevada, Placer, Sierra, Siskiyou, Humboldt, Lassen
Outside California: to Alaska, Montana, Colorado, New Mexico
Bloom period
Erigeron glacialis var. glacialis blooms Jul-Sep.
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 glacialis var. glacialis native to California?
Yes. Erigeron glacialis var. glacialis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Erigeron glacialis var. glacialis bloom?
Erigeron glacialis var. glacialis blooms Jul-Sep.
Where in California does Erigeron glacialis var. glacialis grow?
Erigeron glacialis var. glacialis occurs in Fresno, Del Norte, El Dorado, Mono, Tulare, Tuolumne, Inyo, Modoc and other counties, at elevations of 1300-3400 m.
What plant family does Erigeron glacialis var. glacialis belong to?
Erigeron glacialis var. glacialis is in the Asteraceae family, genus Erigeron.
What habitat does Erigeron glacialis var. glacialis grow in?
Erigeron glacialis var. glacialis grows in Clearings, talus, alpine meadows.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.