Mexican fleabane Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Mexican fleabane

Scientific classification
Genus:	Erigeron
Species:	karvinskianus
Synonyms
Synonymy Aster erigeroides (DC.) Harv. 1865 not Hook. & Arn. 1836 Erigeron mucronatus DC. Erigeron trilobus Sond. Felicia erigeroides DC. Felicia natalensis Sch.Bip. ex Walp. Felicia trinervia Turcz. Erigeron karvinskianum DC.

Erigeron karvinskianus, also known as the Mexican fleabane, is a pretty flowering plant. It looks a lot like a small daisy. This plant belongs to the Asteraceae family, which is a big group of flowering plants. It originally comes from Mexico and parts of Central America. People also call it the Santa Barbara daisy or Spanish daisy.

What the Mexican Fleabane Looks Like
- The Flowers
When it Flowers
Where it Grows Naturally
How it Got its Name
Growing Mexican Fleabane in Gardens
Gallery
See also

What the Mexican Fleabane Looks Like

This plant is a strong, spreading perennial. This means it lives for more than two years and grows outwards. It grows from woody rhizomes, which are like underground stems. The plant can reach a height of about 15 cm (6 inches).

Its leaves grow along the stem. The leaves at the bottom of the plant die off as the plant grows taller. Some leaves might have small teeth or lobes near their tips.

The Flowers

The plant produces many flower heads. Each flower head is about 1 cm (0.4 inches) wide. In the center, they have bright golden yellow disc florets. Around these, there is a fringe of up to 80 white to pinkish ray florets. These ray florets are the "petals" that make it look like a daisy.

When it Flowers

In places like the United Kingdom, the Mexican fleabane blooms for a long time. You can see its flowers from May all the way through October.

Where it Grows Naturally

Erigeron karvinskianus is a native plant in many parts of Mexico, Central America, Colombia, and Venezuela. It has also become a naturalized species in many other places. This means it now grows wild there, even though it wasn't originally from those areas. You can find it in parts of Africa, Europe, Australia, Hong Kong, Chile, and along the west coast of the United States.

How it Got its Name

The plant was first described in 1836 by a scientist named Augustin Pyramus de Candolle. He named it after Wilhelm Friedrich Karwinski von Karwin. Karwinski was a person who collected this plant in Mexico.

Growing Mexican Fleabane in Gardens

People often grow Erigeron karvinskianus in their gardens because of its beautiful daisy-like flowers. Sometimes, people confuse it with the common daisy, Bellis perennis, because they look similar.

This plant is great for growing in cracks in walls or between paving stones. It spreads quickly and creates a lovely carpet of flowers. It has even won an award called the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. This award means it's a very good plant for gardens.

An interesting fact is that this plant was used to cover the concrete terraces of the football stadium in Mexico City. This stadium, called Estadio Azteca, was built for the 1970 FIFA World Cup.