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Wild Aster
Felicia erigeroides
SA tree number
English: Wild Aster, Wild Michaelmas Daisy, Daisy Felicia
Afrikaans: Wilde-aster
Synonyms: Felicia bellidioides, Felicia schlechteri, Felicia virgata, Agathaea erigeroides, Cineraria erigeroides, Aster erigeroides, Aster bellidioides, Aster virgatus, Fresenia virgata, Erigeron bellidioides
This lovely South African plant, Felicia erigeroides, also known as Wild Aster or Wild Michaelmas Daisy, is a small, bushy shrub that adds a cheerful splash of colour to the landscape with its pretty, daisy-like flowers.
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Distinguishing features:
Daisy-like flowers with blue-purple rays and a yellow centre.
Small, hairy, often sticky leaves.
Compact, bushy growth habit.
Overall appearance:
Felicia erigeroides is a small, compact, much-branched, erect to spreading shrublet.
Height:
Up to 60 cm
Width:
Up to 60 cm
Leaves:
Leaves are alternately arranged and are typically small.
They are oblanceolate to obovate in shape.
The leaf surfaces are often sticky and covered with short, glandular hairs.
The margins can be entire (smooth) or have a few small teeth towards the apex.
Flowers:
The flowers are solitary, daisy-like heads, borne on stalks (peduncles) up to 20 cm long.
The ray florets (the 'petals') are blue-purple, although they can sometimes be white.
There are usually 15–30 ray florets.
The disc florets (the centre of the daisy) are bright yellow.
Flowering season: March to July
Fruits:
The fruits are cypselas (a type of dry, one-seeded fruit), often hairy.
Seeds:
The seeds have a pappus (a crown of bristles or scales) of white, barbed bristles.
Stems:
The stems are erect to spreading and much-branched.
They are covered in glandular hairs and often sticky.
Soil type:
Well-drained sandy or loamy soils.
Aspect:
Full sun to partial shade.
Uses:
Felicia erigeroides has medicinal uses in Zulu traditional medicine.
A hot leaf infusion is used as a purgative for intestinal parasites and abdominal pain.
Root infusions are also used as a purgative for intestinal parasites in children.
It can be used in rockeries, flowerbeds, or as a container plant.
Ecology:
The flowers attract bees and other insects, making it a good plant for supporting local biodiversity.
Distribution and habitat:
Felicia erigeroides is indigenous to South Africa, found from Humansdorp in the Eastern Cape KwaZulu-Natal.
Grows naturally on grassy hillsides, coastal bush and forest margins up to an altitude of 1000 metres.
Derivation of name:
The genus name Felicia honours the German politician and botanist Fortunatus Felicius (1702-1772).
The species name erigeroides means 'resembling Erigeron', referring to another genus of plants with similar daisy-like flowers.
Interesting facts:
Despite its common name, Wild Michaelmas Daisy, it's not actually a true Michaelmas Daisy (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae or similar, which are native to North America), but a South African look-alike!
It's a fantastic plant for attracting pollinators like bees to your garden, helping out our buzzy friends.
Felicia erigeroides is part of the Asteraceae family, one of the largest plant families in the world – basically the daisy super-family!
Growing tips:
Felicia erigeroides is relatively easy to grow.
Plant in well-drained soil in a sunny spot.
It can tolerate some light shade but will flower best in full sun.
Water regularly, especially during dry periods, but avoid overwatering as it prefers well-drained conditions.
It can be pruned lightly after flowering to maintain a neat shape and encourage more blooms.
This plant is a fantastic alternative for:
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