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Erigerons, or fleabane, are low-growing, clump-forming plants that are easy to grow and care for. They're perfect for adding a touch of colour to your garden, and they're also great for attracting bees and butterflies. There are many varieties, but the most widely grown is Erigeron Karvinskianus, or Mexican fleabane, which is the only one that has done really well in my garden. Erigeron Karvinskianus bears masses of small flowers over a very long period, often from May to the frosts in autumn. The flowers start out white then gradually turn pink with age.
Erigerons can be planted in full sun or partial shade. They prefer well-drained soil, but they're also quite drought-tolerant. You can plant erigerons in borders, gravel gardens, coastal gardens, between paving, or even in pots.
If your soil is heavy, improve drainage by adding some grit to the planting hole. Erigerons are easy to plant, just dig a hole that's twice as wide as the root ball and place the plant in the centre of the hole. Backfill with soil and water well.
Erigerons are very low-maintenance plants. They don't need to be deadheaded, but you can cut back straggly stems at the end of the season.
Erigerons self-seed readily, so you may find that you don't need to propagate them. However, they're also easy to raise from seed in a cold frame in spring. You can also divide erigerons in spring.
Erigerons are largely pest and disease free. The only problem you may encounter is that plants may die off after a very cold, wet winter if they're planted in heavy soil. My first erigeron died after a very wet winter, I tried another one which also died but it had spread it's seed around the garden so I now have erigeron growing in between paving bricks, and along pathways and in pots - which I'm very happy about. To avoid erigeron dying because of wet weather, add plenty of grit when planting, and avoid very wet spots.
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