D A I E S Y F L E A B A N E

I always contemplate nature and its natural beauty. I was wandering alone on the riverside in July 2014 smiling at me emerging their heads from some river rocks were these little joys. It's not that I have never seen these flowers before but somehow it was captivating and I couldn't resist stopping by and meeting the little beauties and spending some time with them. I have no idea what are these called by the locals, do these have any local names or not. I wanted to know more about these so I had to save them in my camera so I can at least search and find their common name on the internet. While searching for these I found some interesting information that I will share here on my blog. the scientific name of these flowers is Erigeron annuus and are commonly known as Daisy Fleabane. is one of the commonly found wildflowers in Hunza and other regions of Gilgit Baltistan. Erigeron, basically is the Greek word for the early old man. the philosophy behind its name is related to its blossom in late spring and keeps on blossoming despite white seed head formation. Besides that, there is a superstition that says that the dried cluster of these flowers can be used to get rid of fleas in homes but it can only help be used for diuretics and medicine for digestive ailments. the whole plant is not edible but its leaves contain caffeic acid that contains antioxidative and neuroprotective effects on neuronal cells. Besides that, these can be grown to enhance the beauty of home gardens and can be cultivated indoors as well. these can enhance the beauty of the garden if grown on Rockeries, pavement Borders, wall Baskets, Window boxes, and Containers. Ground cover, cracks in paving or scrambling down walls, and Gravel Garden. Late February to April is its sowing time while they will blossom from June to August. these flowers have a combination of yellow and white while their petals have different color shades from white to pink and purple which is very soothing to the eyes. 

So, my dear GBians what are you waiting for? grow Daisy fleabane and make your garden heaven! Maybe next time visiting home in Hunza I will be growing these in my garden or at least collecting some seeds for my friends here in the city.

References
http://www.ediblewildfood.com/daisy-fleabane.aspx
 http://www.seedaholic.com/erigeron-karvinskianus-profusion-fleabane-mexican-daisy.html