The Dawes Arboretum

Common name: Philadelphia fleabane

Family: Asteraceae (aster, daisy, sunflower family)

Distribution: North America

Habitat: Openings and margins of woods, marsh edges, creek sides, fields, roadsides, ditch banks, lawns, and other open, disturbed sites; 20–2900 m

Life form: Herbaceous perennial

Comments: Common fleabane blooms in April through June, producing a spray of pink and white flower heads. Like other plants in the Aster family, the flower heads are comprised of two types of flowers – rays and discs. The ray flowers are the white and pink portions of the flower head, while the disc flowers make up the yellow center. The leaves clasp around the stem, which may be sparsely to moderately covered in white hairs. This plant can usually be found along roadsides, in field, thickets, and open woods. Bees, butterflies, and flies are frequent pollinators.