| Flower Petal
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| Type
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Useful
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Herb |
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Erigeron
Genus |
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| Other Names for this Plant |
Philadelphia Fleabane, Philadelphia daisy, Common Fleabane, Marsh Fleabane, Frost-root, Skervish, Poor Robin’s Plantain
Native to North America
Biennial or short-lived perennial, fibrous rooted, 2-7 dm. tall; herbage usually with long, spreading hairs.
Leaves: Basal leaves oblanceolate, toothed or lobed to sometimes entire, up to 15 cm. long and 3 cm. wide; cauline leaves becoming sessile, mostly ample and clasping. The clasping leaves are a distinctive feature of Philadelphia Fleabane.
Flowers: Heads 1-many; involucre 4-6 mm. high; rays pistillate, 150-400, 0.2-0.6 mm. wide, 5-10 mm. long, deep pink to white; disk corollas 2.5-3.2 mm. long, yellow; pappus of 20-30 fragile bristles. The flowers close at night.
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Compare Species
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Star Order (Daisies) |
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Main, Real, Two First-Leaves (Dicots) |
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Real, Two First-Leaves (Dicots) |
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Half Capsule Seed Division |
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Magnolia Division |
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Seed Plants |
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Multiple Spore Sub-Kingdom |
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Multicellular Land Plants |
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Cells with a Nucleus |
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Ancient Europeans believed that the odor of this genus repelled fleas, thus the name fleabane. This seems to have no basis in fact.
The Ojibwas used the smoke of disk florets to attract deer and in their smoking mixture or kinnikinnick .
Fleabane's common name reflects its use as a bug repellant. In fact, starlings line their nests with fleabane to keep mites away. People once mixed it with bedstraw to keep bugs out of their mattresses. It's toxic to mollusks and helps prevent fungus infections in strawberry plants. Because it repels insects, it can be used magically to ward off evil spirits. Despite its pesticidal qualities, butterflies love it. But don't plant fleabane where ruminants like cows and goats can get at it - it's toxic for them
Medicinal Uses: There are many accounts or Native American use of this plant. The Ojibwa used it as a diuretic, for hemorrhages, spitting of blood. The Cherokee for menstruation problems and bad vision. It was poultice for headache and cold root tea taken for colds. Snuff of powdered florets used for sick headaches and the smoke of dried flowers for head colds.
The Cherokee used an infusion of the roots to treat colds, coughs, and headaches. The Blackfeet used Philadelphia fleabane to treat diarrhea. The Mesquakies took snuff made of powdered disk flowers to alleviate head colds by causing sneezing.
The Cherokee and other Native American tribes used Philadelphia fleabane for a variety of medicinal purposes including epilepsy. A poultice was made from the plant to treat headaches. The roots were either made into tea or chewed to treat colds and coughs. The smoke from incense made from the plant was inhaled to treat head colds. A snuff was made and sniffed also for head colds. It was mixed with other herbs to also treat headaches and inflammation of the nose and throat. The tea was used to break fevers. The plant was boiled and mixed with tallow to make a balm that could be spread upon sores on the skin. It was used for as an eye medicine to treat “dimness of sight.” It was used as an astringent, a diuretic, and as an aid for kidneys or the gout. The Cherokee and Houma tribes boiled the roots to make a drink for “menstruation troubles” and to induce miscarriages (to treat “suppressed menstruation”). It was also used to treat hemorrhages and for spitting of blood. The Catawba used a drink from the plant to treat heart trouble.
Other Notes: A mention that this plant was used as a dye by native Americans but nothing more specific, in the old days. The Cherokee started friction fires with the dried stalk of a fleabane, which they called "firemaker."
Early European settlers in North America stuffed mattresses with fleabane and hung clusters of plants in their cabins to drive out fleas
This magic herb is associated with Hephaistos, who was the son of Hera; he had no father, and some see him as Hera's masculine manifestation. This god of the forge was a gold- and silversmith talented enough to build beautiful android women made from gold to help him in his work. They were not mere robots but were outspoken and intelligent. A blow from his hammer freed Athena from the skull of Zeus (and he later made many of her weapons, as well as Aphrodite's girdle and Hermes' helmet). He made Zeus's thunderbolts, but Zeus still tossed Hephaistos out of Olympus when he and Hera stood up to Zeus.
Hephaistos tried to sexually assault Athena, but she evaded him and his fiery semen fell to Mother Earth, engendering Erikhthonios, a serpent-man (who became the first king of Athens) - and fleabane. In grimoires and older magical texts like the Greek magical papyri, references to "semen of Hephaistos" mean fleabane. Because of fleabane's association with this fire god, it is often considered a Fire herb.
Daisy Fleabane
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Daisy Fleabane
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Daisy Fleabane, Erigeron annuus |
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