Erigeron pulchellus

I have been seeing colonies of this wildflower in bloom in numerous locations in the last week or so. A post about a Fleabane on Facebook prompted me to stop and have a closer look. I knew it wasn't the annual Fleabane, but they looked very similar.

This little wildflower has been identified as Erigeron pulchellus, Robin's Plantain. It is a stoloniferous perennial relative of the annual Daisy Fleabane. The internet says they are mostly white. I have been seeing them in pink and feel rather sure I have seen lavender to light purple ones in the past.

There might even be some lavender ones I have seen in the deep forest that could be moved to the garden becoming. Observation and research tell me this little flower likes locations where the other vegetation tends to be sparse. I have a natural sparsely vegetated slope where it would fit right in.

What could be bad about adding more wildflowers to the garden becoming? The other day I found an Indian Paintbrush, Castilleja coccinea, in the garden. I pilfered those from the side of the road three or four years ago and never saw them again. Little did I know it was in hiding. It only takes one to start a colony.

My plant lust may be a bit much. I went to my favorite local independent nursery to shop for clients and came home with multiple plants for me and a cracked pot. Yes I got the plants for the client too.

The real splurge was this Golden Crane Hydrangea, Hydrangea angustipetala, from Monrovia's Dan Hinkley plant collection. You pay big time for the name. A Foam Flower, Tiarella 'Sugar and Spice' and two Aruncus hybrida or Goat's Beard slipped in there too. I also accidentally got several Armeria at the Lowes discard rack a few days ago. I'll be busy planting this weekend.

Yes I have asked my favorite local independent nursery to save their nice cracked pots for me. Since they get full credit for broken crockery during shipment, they are happy to get rid of them. I have found a nice spot in the garden to half bury the broken side of this pot into the ground. It is free art for the garden, my kind of budget.