Marianne's Response
Does Mexican fleabane do okay, or too well in PNW
Does Mexican fleabane (Erigeron karvinskianus) go totally out of control here in the Puget Sound? Does it survive the wet winters at all? My one acre yard is a little wild by intent and I think I like the look of it for a gap between my raised beds and my small chicken yard. Fairly sunny, dry alluvial soil in the summer, and plenty of deer and slugs. If it’s a horrible choice, I’m looking for something which is low maintenance, perennial, deer resistant, and tolerates dry summers.
Posted by John Eastlake on January 31, 2021
Marianne's Response
I think Mexican Fleabane or Santa Barbara Daisy is a wonderful choice for a wild or casual garden. It needs very well drained soil which you have and some sun but it flowers for a long time even in the damp weather of Western Washington. Another self seeder with that cottage look is the yellow flowering corydalis lutea that can handle more shade and rain and has a softer foliage with a bright yellow bloom. If you are not afraid of casual bloomers than do not worry about these reseeders as they are easy to pull up if they grow where you do not want them. Keep growing, Marianne Binetti
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