Erigeron karvinskianus * Santa Barbara Daisy, Mexican Daisy

Erigeron karvinskianus is native to an area stretching from Mexico to Venezuela. It grows so well in the Santa Barbara area that everybody in this area calls it the Santa Barbara Daisy, others call it Mexican Daisy which is probably more descriptive of its origins. Erigeron karvinskianus plants that are survivors and near weeds, albeit pretty ones. This one can be beat back with a stick, laugh at danger and bloom two weeks later. When the patch gets a little rough around the edges I mow it back, the new foliage rewards me like the picture below. Erigeron kavinskianus can seed and run a bit and if ignored it can start to get the better of me. So long as I keep my shovel and pruners at the ready this is a great plant for the 'wild garden'. The small white flowers of Erigeron karvinskianus are a nectar source for the Painted Lady Butterfly, California Dogface Butterfly, Great Purple Hairstreak, Hedgerow Hairstreak, Gray Hairstreak, Cloudless Sulfur, Common Buckeye, White Checkered Skipper, Northern White Skipper, California Common Ringlet, Mormon Metalmark, Giant Swallowtail, and the White Lined Sphinx Moth and is a great addition to the butterfly garden.

Other plants from the Erigeron Genus featured on this site:
Erigeron argentatus
Erigeron blochmaniae * Blochman's Erigeron
Erigeron foliosus foliosus
Erigeron glaucus Cape Sebastian
Erigeron glaucus Bountiful
Erigeron glaucus Sea Breeze
Erigeron glaucus Wayne Roderick
Erigeron glaucus White Lights
Erigeron speciosus