Abajo fleabane
Erigeron abajoensis Cronquist
Abajo fleabane is a small perennial of southwestern mountain country. A 2020 specimen-based study traced its scattered populations across southeastern Utah, northwestern New Mexico and immediately adjoining Arizona. Although related to Erigeron caespitosus, the two do not overlap in their documented distributions; the latter reaches its southern limit farther north. Nesom 2020: Geography of Erigeron abajoensis
Botanical name
Erigeron abajoensis Cronquist is recognised as a species by Flora of North America and Nesom’s 2020 geographical revision. Flora of North America: Erigeron abajoensisNesom 2020: Geography of Erigeron abajoensis
Recognizing the plant
Plants usually stand five to fifteen centimetres tall, supported by a taproot and a woody base that retains old leaf remnants. Narrow, spoon-shaped leaves cluster at the base, while smaller leaves diminish up the flowering stems. Stems commonly carry close-lying hairs. One to four heads bear numerous slender rays in blue, pink or white, surrounding the central disk. After flowering, the small hairy fruits carry a crown of fine bristles. Flora of North America: Erigeron abajoensis
Bloom window
Southwestern United States, Flora of North America account
The regional flora records flowering during July and August. Flora of North America: Erigeron abajoensis
Native range
Rocky or gravelly open slopes are characteristic, among sagebrush or within pinyon-juniper, ponderosa pine and spruce-fir vegetation. The North American flora records an elevation range of about 2,000–3,500 metres. Flora of North America: Erigeron abajoensis
Botanical sources
Reviewed 2026-10-11. Seasonal development varies with location and growing conditions.