Alpine yellow fleabane facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alpine yellow fleabane |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Erigeron
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| Species: |
aureus
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Erigeron aureus, also known as the Alpine yellow fleabane, is a small, pretty flowering plant. It belongs to the daisy family, just like sunflowers and dandelions! This plant grows naturally in the cool, high mountains of northwestern North America. You can find it in places like the Cascades and Rocky Mountains, including parts of Alberta, British Columbia, and Washington.
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Meet the Alpine Yellow Fleabane
The Alpine yellow fleabane is a type of perennial plant. This means it lives for more than two years. It's a small herbaceous plant, which means it has soft stems, not woody ones like trees.
What Does It Look Like?
This plant is usually very small. It grows to about 10 cm (4 in) tall, but sometimes it can reach 20 cm (8 in). It has clumps of fuzzy, grey-green leaves. In the summer, you'll see large, bright yellow flowers. These flowers look like small daisies and can be up to 2.5 cm (0.98 in) wide.
The scientific name aureus is a Latin word. It means "golden yellow." This name perfectly describes its beautiful flower color!
Where Does It Grow?
In nature, the Alpine yellow fleabane likes to live in tough places. You can find it on mountain ridges, in rocky cracks, and on steep, rocky slopes. It's used to growing in sunny spots with soil that drains water very well.
Growing It in Your Garden
If you want to grow this plant, it's great for a rock garden. It also does well in walls or other sunny places. Just make sure the soil drains water easily.
In the UK, this plant grows best in warmer areas. These are usually along the western and southern coasts. It can handle cold temperatures down to about −10 °C (14 °F). There's a special type of this plant called 'Canary Bird'. It lives longer than the wild plants. This 'Canary Bird' has even won an RHS Award of Garden Merit. This award means it's a great plant for gardeners.
