Botanical atlas

Canadian Fleabane

Erigeron canadensis

Long before it was dismissed as a roadside weed, Canadian fleabane was gathered by numerous Native American nations, including the Cherokee, Iroquois, and Chippewa, who steeped its leaves for digestive upset, dysentery, and diarrhea. Early American physicians and eclectic herbalists later adopted it too, listing it in nineteenth century materia medica as an astringent and diuretic. Its tough, weedy nature made it one of the most reachable herbs a household could gather, no garden required, just a walk down the lane. Even its old country names, horseweed and marestail, hint at how ordinary and familiar this plant once was to rural life.

Safety.

The concentrated essential oil from this plant is potent and was historically misused as an abortifacient, so it should never be ingested and should be avoided in pregnancy. As a ragweed relative, the plant can trigger allergic reactions in sensitive people, so only the mild dried leaf tea is used, and sparingly.