Stalked fleabane facts for kids

The stalked fleabane (scientific name: Erigeron algidus) is a beautiful flowering plant. It belongs to the daisy family, which is a very large group of plants. This plant is known for its pretty, daisy-like flowers.

Where Does Stalked Fleabane Grow?

The stalked fleabane is a plant that loves high places. It naturally grows in the High Sierra mountains. You can find it in eastern California and western Nevada. You can see a map of where it grows here.

This plant prefers to live in alpine areas. These are cold, high-altitude places. It often grows on talus slopes. These are steep hillsides covered in loose rocks and broken pieces of stone.

What Does Stalked Fleabane Look Like?

The stalked fleabane is a perennial plant. This means it lives for more than two years. It comes back to life each spring. It grows from a clump of narrow, fuzzy leaves at its base.

From this base, tall, bare stems grow upwards. These stems can reach about 30 centimeters (1 foot) high. At the top of each stem, there is a single flower head. This flower head looks like one large flower, but it's actually made of many tiny flowers.

The flower head is about one to one and a half centimeters (0.4-0.6 inches) wide. In the center, it has many small yellow disc florets. Around the edge, there is a fringe of up to 125 ray florets. These ray florets are like the petals of a daisy. They can be bright purple, pink, or white. Sometimes they spread straight out, and sometimes they bend back towards the stem.