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Erigeron pulchellus

Michx.

Hairy fleabane

G5Secure Found in 77 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Hairy fleabane (Erigeron pulchellus). Photo by Tom Norton, CC BY 4.0, via iNaturalist.
Tom Norton, CC BY 4.0
Hairy fleabane (Erigeron pulchellus). Photo by Dan Schuurman, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, via iNaturalist.
Dan Schuurman, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Hairy fleabane (Erigeron pulchellus). Photo by Dan Schuurman, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, via iNaturalist.
Dan Schuurman, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.132731
Element CodePDAST3M3E0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderAsterales
FamilyAsteraceae
GenusErigeron
Other Common Names
robin's plantain (EN) Robin's-plantain (EN) Vergerette délicate (FR)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2025-07-18
Change Date1984-04-24
Edition Date2025-07-18
Edition AuthorsN. Ventrella (2025)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Erigeron pulchellus is a perennial forb occurring in bottomlands, ravines, swamp edges, mesic slopes, woodlands, and forests of eastern North America, from Ontario and Quebec, Canada, south through Florida and Texas in the United States. There are over a thousand estimated occurrences of this species rangewide, which are potentially threatened by development, rights-of-way construction and maintenance, invasive species, and other threats in some places. Little is known about threats and trends, but with a large range extent, tolerance of light disturbance, abundant habitat, and broad habitat preferences, Erigeron pulchellus is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Erigeron pulchellus occurs in eastern North America, from Ontario and Quebec, Canada, south through Florida and Texas in the United States (FNA 2006). Range extent was estimated to be over 2.5 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data collected between 1994 and 2025 (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, RARECAT 2025, SEINet 2025). See individual entries for distribution details about the three varieties.
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1994 and 2025, it is estimated that there are more than one thousand occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, RARECAT 2025, SEINet 2025).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, Erigeron pulchellus is potentially threatened by development, rights-of-way construction and maintenance, invasive species, and other threats in some places. However, they are considered negligible given the broad range and large number of occurrences of the species and its somewhat flexible and abundant habitat.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Erigeron pulchellus occurs in bottomlands, creek bottoms, ravines, swamp edges, mesic slopes, dry to moist woods of oak, oak-pine, or mixed deciduous, alluvial forests, and densely shaded basswood-maple woodland on rocks and rock ledges heavily covered with soil, humus, lichens, and mosses from 50-1000 m in elevation (FNA 2006).

Reproduction

Erigeron pulchellus produces flowers from March through July (FNA 2006).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandForest - HardwoodWoodland - HardwoodWoodland - MixedBare rock/talus/screeCliff
Palustrine Habitats
FORESTED WETLANDRiparian
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
MassachusettsSNRYes
New HampshireSNRYes
ConnecticutSNRYes
KentuckySNRYes
IndianaSNRYes
New JerseySNRYes
MinnesotaSNRYes
West VirginiaS5Yes
WisconsinSNRYes
GeorgiaSNRYes
TennesseeSNRYes
MissouriSNRYes
TexasSNRYes
MarylandSNRYes
MississippiSNRYes
IllinoisSNRYes
LouisianaSNRYes
MichiganSNRYes
AlabamaSNRYes
South CarolinaSNRYes
North CarolinaS5Yes
VermontS5Yes
OhioSNRYes
PennsylvaniaSNRYes
IowaS4Yes
FloridaSNRYes
MaineSNRYes
New YorkSNRYes
OklahomaSNRYes
KansasSNRYes
ArkansasSNRYes
VirginiaS5Yes
District of ColumbiaSNRYes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
QuebecSNRYes
OntarioS5Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undetermined———

—

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (77)
Arkansas (3)
AreaForestAcres
Clifty CanyonOzark-St. Francis National Forest1,963
East ForkOzark-St. Francis National Forest13,037
Richland CreekOzark-St. Francis National Forest571
Georgia (14)
AreaForestAcres
Big MountainChattahoochee National Forest1,974
Boggs CreekChattahoochee National Forest2,073
Cedar MountainChattahoochee National Forest1,083
Helton CreekChattahoochee National Forest2,348
Indian Grave GapChattahoochee National Forest1,020
Joe GapChattahoochee National Forest5,321
Kelly RidgeChattahoochee National Forest8,325
Lance CreekChattahoochee National Forest9,025
Miller CreekChattahoochee National Forest701
Patterson GapChattahoochee National Forest1,186
Pink KnobChattahoochee National Forest12,127
Rocky MountainChattahoochee National Forest4,269
Shoal BranchChattahoochee National Forest413
Tate BranchChattahoochee National Forest1,069
Kentucky (1)
AreaForestAcres
WolfpenDaniel Boone National Forest2,835
Missouri (1)
AreaForestAcres
Swan Creek Rare II Study AreaMark Twain National Forest7,310
New Hampshire (9)
AreaForestAcres
Carr MountainWhite Mountain National Forest17,110
Cherry MountainWhite Mountain National Forest8,766
Dartmouth RangeWhite Mountain National Forest9,233
Great Gulf Ext.White Mountain National Forest15,110
KilkennyWhite Mountain National Forest28,766
Kinsman MountainWhite Mountain National Forest8,999
PemigewassetWhite Mountain National Forest32,255
Presidential - Dry River ExtWhite Mountain National Forest10,555
Wild RiverWhite Mountain National Forest46,878
North Carolina (19)
AreaForestAcres
Balsam ConePisgah National Forest10,591
Cheoah BaldNantahala National Forest7,795
Chunky Gal (addition)Nantahala National Forest3,336
Craggy MountainPisgah National Forest2,657
Dobson KnobPisgah National Forest6,111
Graveyard Ridge (addition)Pisgah National Forest1,958
Harper CreekPisgah National Forest7,325
Jarrett CreekPisgah National Forest7,485
Laurel MountainPisgah National Forest5,683
Linville Gorge AdditionPisgah National Forest2,809
Lost CovePisgah National Forest5,944
Mackey MountainPisgah National Forest5,934
Sam Knob (addition)Pisgah National Forest2,576
SnowbirdNantahala National Forest8,489
South Mills RiverPisgah National Forest8,588
Tusquitee BaldNantahala National Forest13,670
Wesser BaldNantahala National Forest4,061
Wilson CreekPisgah National Forest4,863
Woods MountainPisgah National Forest9,602
South Carolina (3)
AreaForestAcres
Bee CoveSumter National Forest3,025
Big MountainSumter National Forest2,337
Ellicott Rock 2Sumter National Forest517
Tennessee (7)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainCherokee National Forest11,743
Devil's BackboneCherokee National Forest4,287
Flint Mill GapCherokee National Forest9,494
London Bridge BranchCherokee National Forest3,387
Stone MountainCherokee National Forest5,367
Sycamore CreekCherokee National Forest6,984
Upper Bald RiverCherokee National Forest9,202
Vermont (2)
AreaForestAcres
Bread LoafGreen Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests1,768
Woodford 09086Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests2,456
Virginia (14)
AreaForestAcres
Bear CreekJefferson National Forest18,274
Beards MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,505
Beaver Dam CreekJefferson National Forest1,135
Brush MountainJefferson National Forest6,002
Dolly AnnGeorge Washington National Forest7,855
JerkemtightGeorge Washington National Forest16,687
Lewis Fork AdditionJefferson National Forest749
Little Wilson Creek Addition BJefferson National Forest1,725
Mill MountainGeorge Washington National Forest10,840
New London Bridge BranchJefferson National Forest844
North MountainJefferson National Forest8,377
Oak KnobGeorge Washington National Forest10,882
Ramseys Draft AdditionGeorge Washington National Forest12,781
Seng MountainJefferson National Forest6,428
West Virginia (4)
AreaForestAcres
Dolly Sods Roaring PlainMonongahela National Forest13,392
Dry ForkMonongahela National Forest657
Mcgowan MountainMonongahela National Forest10,504
Seneca CreekMonongahela National Forest22,287
References (8)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2006b. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 20. Magnoliophyta: Asteridae, part 7: Asteraceae, part 2. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxii + 666 pp.
  2. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2025. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2025).
  3. iNaturalist. 2025. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2025).
  4. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  5. Kartesz, J.T. 1999. A synonymized checklist and atlas with biological attributes for the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First edition. In: Kartesz, J.T., and C.A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, N.C.
  6. NatureServe. 2025. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  7. <p>NatureServe's Rapid Analysis of Rarity and Endangerment Conservation Assessment Tool (RARECAT). 2025. Version: 2.1.1 (released April 04, 2025).</p>
  8. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2025. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2025).