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U.S. Forest Service


Plant of the Week

Map of the United States showing states. States are colored green where the species may be found. Range map of featherleaf fleabane. Map from USDA PLANTS Database.

Featherleaf fleabane. Featherleaf fleabane is a pleasant surprise for visitors to the Colorado Rockies in the spring and summer. Photo by Charlie McDonald.

Featherleaf fleabane plant and flowers. Featherleaf fleabane growing at 10,300 feet in elevation near Engineer Pass east of Silverton, Colorado. Photo by Charlie McDonald.

Featherleaf Fleabane (Erigeron pinnatisectus

By Charlie McDonald

Featherleaf fleabane is in the large genus Erigeron in the sunflower family (Asteraceae). Erigeron (fleabane or fleabane daisy) has about 390 species worldwide with about 170 species in North America. Many of the fleabanes are confusingly similar, but featherleaf fleabane is easy to identify. Its combination of bluish flowers and feathery divided leaves is unique among the fleabanes.

Featherleaf fleabane is restricted to the high mountains of the central Rockies in Colorado with a few plants growing in southern Wyoming and northern New Mexico. It is an herbaceous perennial that grows in alpine or subalpine habitats from 9,000–13,000 feet in elevation. At these cold high elevations, it prefers south-facing bluffs and ledges with abundant sunshine. This is one of the many plants that can be a joy to find during a summer outing to the Rocky Mountain high country.

For More Information

PLANTS Profile -Erigeron pinnatisectus, featherleaf fleabane

https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/erigeron_pinnatisectus.shtml