Daisy Fleabane (Erigeron strigosus Muhl.)

About Daisy Fleabane:

The Daisy Fleabane is an annual weed that can be found across North America. Only the leaves are edible on the Daisy Fleabane. Due to the hairy nature of the leaves they are best consumed when cooked with greens. Interestingly enough the leaves contain caffeic acid, this is a compound that has neuroprotective and antioxidative effects on the neuronal cells.

Family: Composite or Aster Family (Compositae)

Daisy Fleabane Scouting and Prevention:

Daisy Fleabane has a straight stem that can stand between 1 and 3 ft. tall with the main stem being purplish green, with groves along its side, and coarse hairs covering the branches and stems. The leaves of a Daisy Fleabane predominately grow from the base on the stem, they are about 2 to 6 inches long and 1 to 3 inches wide. They are ovate, basal leaves that are widest at the center, and taper to both ends of the leaf. The upper leaves of the Daisy Fleabane are much narrower, smaller and slightly lanceolate than the bottom basal leaves. The flowers of this weed are arranged in clusters at the top of stems. The flowers of the Daisy Fleabane are in a disk-like shape with white, and sometimes light purple peddles that are about 2 to 10mm across, with a core that is yellow. Daisy Fleabane typically start flowering from mid-May.

Common locations

• - Full sun
• - Dry soil
• - Alkaline soil
• - Pastures

Prevention

Prevention of Daisy Fleabane is less expensive and less time-consuming than trying to control it. Make sure when you are seeding a new area, you are doing so with certified weed-free seeds. If there is an infested area on your property, be sure to drive around, instead of through it. Finally, make sure to give all equipment that has been in infested fields a good clean, to make sure no seeds are transferred.

Daisy Fleabane Control:

Cultural Control

Trying to get control over Daisy Fleabane isn’t an easy process due to the fact that the plant has a thick long taproot. Here are a few steps that may be able to help you control this particular weed.

• - Do the recommendations given to you by the soil test
• - The field should be planted with high-yield varieties in narrow rows with high plant population as soon as ideal soil and weather conditions are met
• - Mowing can help reduce seed production and dispersion
• - Another way to prevent Daisy Fleabane would be tillage in either the fall, early spring, or both
• - If the weed is under 12 inches, pulling by hand is an easy fix to a small infestation

Chemical Control

The best time to use herbicides to help control the weeds if they do occur would be in the fall or in early spring when the plant is actively growing. Unfortunately, this plant needs both a cultural control method, and the use of herbicides to completely eradicate it. Another difficult aspect of Daisy Fleabane is the fact that it is resistant to many herbicides, including Glyphosate, such as roundup ready herbicides. It does however respond to broadleaf herbicides containing 2,4-D.

Latin / Alternative Daisy Fleabane names:

• - Erigeron strigosus Muhl.
• - Vergerette rude
• - Rough Fleabane
• - Rough Daisy Fleabane
• - Vergerolle rugueuse
• - Érigéron hispide

Additional Daisy Fleabane Resources