How to Grow Erigeron karvinskianus
'Profusion' from Seed
The living wall daisy — thousands of tiny flowers that open white and age through soft pink to wine-purple, all stages simultaneously, from May until November; a Hardy Perennial RHS Award of Garden Merit that makes gardens look instantly established by colonising every available crack in paving and mortar joint in walls with effortless cottage garden charm
Erigeron karvinskianus 'Profusion' is the master of the one trick it does better than any other garden plant: making stone surfaces look as though something beautiful has always lived there. The tiny daisies — barely 1.5cm across — appear in their thousands on a low, tumbling mound of fine stems and narrow grey-green leaves, and the flowers do something remarkable as they age: they open pure white, then gradually deepen through soft pink to wine-pink to near-purple, so that at any moment the same plant simultaneously displays every shade of that white-to-pink progression. The effect is that of a vintage watercolour wash — no two parts of the plant quite the same colour, the whole harmonious and beautiful and indefinably romantic.
It blooms from May until November — sometimes into December in mild years — without ever stopping or even pausing. It seeds itself into every available crack in paving, between bricks in walls, into the mortar joints of old steps, and in doing so makes young gardens look genuinely old and genuinely loved. It is the most effective single plant for creating the "always been there" quality that new garden owners most desire and that usually takes decades to achieve. It requires almost nothing: poor dry soil, full sun, an annual shearing when it begins to look exhausted, and the patience to let it find its own crevices.
Quick Facts at a Glance
Plant Type
Hardy Perennial H5 — RHS Award of Garden Merit; long-lived in good drainage
Flowers
White to pink to wine-purple — all stages simultaneously; May–November
Height
15–20cm; tumbling, spreading mound; excellent for walls and paving
Key quirk
Seeds need light to germinate — surface sow, do NOT cover
Self-seeding
Prolific — naturally wanders into cracks and crevices; easy to remove
Difficulty
1 out of 5 — thrives on neglect
Understanding the Colour-Shift
Erigeron karvinskianus is native to the rocky hillsides of Mexico and Central America, where it grows as a short-lived perennial in thin, dry, calcium-rich soil in full sun. The plant's very specific adaptation to poor, dry, well-drained conditions is why it colonises wall crevices and paving gaps in UK gardens so successfully — these environments replicate almost exactly the thin, mineral-rich, sharply drained conditions of its native rocky hillsides. It is not a plant that has adapted to UK gardens so much as a plant that was always exactly suited to the one environment UK gardens provide in abundance: old stone.
The White-to-Pink Transformation — How It Works
The colour change in Erigeron karvinskianus flowers is caused by anthocyanin pigments that develop and intensify in the ray petals as the flower ages. A newly opened flower is pure white — the anthocyanins are present but not yet visible. Over the following days, as the flower ages and is exposed to sunlight and temperature variation, the anthocyanins oxidise and intensify, progressively deepening from white through soft pink, rose pink, and finally wine-pink to near-purple in the oldest flowers just before they drop. Because each flower on a plant is at a different stage of this progression, the whole plant simultaneously displays the full range of tones — a natural gradient from white to deep pink that gives the 'Profusion' variety its characteristic multi-tonal quality.
How to Use It — The "Living There Forever" Plant
The most effective use of Erigeron karvinskianus is the most counterintuitive: scatter seeds directly into the cracks between paving stones, press seeds into the mortar joints of walls, or let self-sown seedlings establish naturally in the most inhospitable-looking crevices in the garden. The plant actively seeks out these environments — roots penetrate deep into the gaps, anchoring the plant and accessing the slightly moist reservoir of mineral soil beneath paving or within walls. Once established in a crack, Erigeron is effectively permanent. It spreads slowly by self-seeding, gradually filling available crevices until a flight of steps or a paved path is entirely clothed in tiny daisies.
Sowing & Growing On
Surface Sow — Seeds Need Light, Not Darkness
Erigeron seeds are dust-fine and require light to germinate. Surface sow onto moist, fine compost and do not cover with soil or vermiculite. Press gently to ensure seed-compost contact. Keep the surface moist (misting is ideal — avoid disturbing seeds with a heavy pour). Keep at 15–20°C in a bright position. Germination in 14–30 days. Seedlings are tiny — be patient and careful at pricking out.
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Surface sow indoors February–May at 15–20°C in a bright position. Do not cover seeds. Sow in fine seed compost. Press seeds lightly into surface. Keep moist by misting. Germination 14–30 days. Alternatively, scatter seeds directly into paving cracks or wall joints — the microclimate is often ideal for natural germination.
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Prick out seedlings in small clusters rather than individually. Because the seedlings are tiny, pricking out individually is fiddly and stressful for the plants. Sow into small modules, leave several seedlings per module, and plant the whole cluster out — this produces more natural-looking, immediately effective clumps than single transplants.
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Plant out after frost risk, in full sun, in the driest, most exposed positions available. South-facing aspects, gravel gardens, terracotta pot edges, paving gaps, wall crevices. The more sun and the freer the drainage, the better 'Profusion' performs. Avoid shaded or moisture-retentive positions — the plant sulks in shade and can develop grey mould in persistently damp conditions.
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Shear back by half in mid-summer if plants look exhausted. If the mound begins to look tired, brown-centred, or less floriferous in July, simply cut the whole plant back by 50% with garden scissors. It recovers rapidly with fresh growth and a renewed flush of flowers that continues until November.
Growing On & Care
The Best Wall Plant Available
Erigeron karvinskianus colonises old stone walls, brick walls, and rendered surfaces with equal enthusiasm, rooting into the mortar joints and producing cascading curtains of tiny daisies across the wall surface. To establish in a wall: mix seeds with a small amount of damp clay or compost, press the mixture firmly into mortar joints or cracks, and leave. Seeds will germinate when conditions are right, usually within 3–6 weeks in warm weather. Once one plant establishes, self-seeding distributes the plant across the entire wall surface over 2–3 seasons.
May to November — the Longest Flowering Season
'Profusion' earns its name: from the first flowers in May through to the last in November (or December in mild southern UK gardens), the plant is never without flowers. This extraordinary season length — 6–7 months without interruption — makes it incomparably useful as a constant background of colour in the garden during the period when most other plants come and go in shorter seasonal flushes. The mid-summer shearing is the only management needed to maintain this constant flower production through to autumn.
Self-Seeding — Welcome Wanderer
Erigeron self-seeds profusely in suitable conditions, distributing itself into any available crack, crevice, or thin soil around the garden. This behaviour is highly desirable in most settings — it creates the "established for decades" look very quickly. Self-sown seedlings are very shallow-rooted when young and can be pulled out easily if they appear in the wrong place. Where self-seeding is not wanted, deadhead regularly to prevent seed production before the fluffy seed heads develop.
Winter Care
In mild UK winters, Erigeron karvinskianus may retain some foliage year-round in well-drained positions. In harder winters, the top growth dies back to the woody base. Cut dead growth away in March and the plant emerges rapidly from the base with fresh growth. In the coldest UK winters (H5 hardiness means survival to approximately -10°C), plants in particularly exposed or poorly-drained positions may be lost — mulch the crown with grit in autumn in exposed locations. Wall-established plants are often the most winter-hardy, protected by the thermal mass of the wall.
Pollinator Value
Despite its tiny size, Erigeron attracts an impressive range of small pollinators — small bees, hoverflies, pollen beetles, and small butterflies all visit the accessible, open daisies. The RHS Plants for Pollinators designation recognises this value. Because the plant flowers from May to November, it provides a much longer period of pollinator support than most other garden plants. A collection of Erigeron-colonised steps or walls in full flower in October — when most other plants have finished — provides critical late-season nutrition for pollinators preparing for hibernation.
In Containers
Erigeron 'Profusion' is excellent in containers, particularly spilling over the edges of terracotta pots, stone troughs, and old chimney pots. In containers, use a very free-draining compost — add at least 25–30% perlite or grit to standard compost. Do not over-pot; a slightly pot-bound plant in dry, gritty compost performs better than a well-watered plant in a large pot of rich, moisture-retentive compost. Water only when the compost is completely dry. Move containers under cover in the hardest winter weather.
Sowing & Flowering Calendar
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| 🌱 Sow indoors |
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| 🌿 Plant out |
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| 🌸 Flowers |
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Common Problems & Solutions
| Problem | Likely Cause | What to Do |
|---|---|---|
| Poor germination | Seeds covered; too dark; seeds too old | Erigeron seeds are dust-fine and require light — covering them even with a thin layer of vermiculite can significantly reduce germination. Surface sow and press gently into compost without covering. Ensure the tray is in a bright position (not a dark propagator or covered with a lid). Seeds have limited viability — use fresh seed for best results. |
| Grey mould on foliage | Persistently damp; poor air circulation; shade | Erigeron karvinskianus is native to dry, sunny Mexican hillsides and does not tolerate shade or persistently moist conditions. Move to a sunnier, more exposed position. If growing in a container, improve drainage by adding more grit to the compost. Cut back affected stems and improve airflow around the plant. Avoid overhead watering. |
| Plant loses vigour mid-summer | Normal mid-season fatigue | Simply shear the whole mound back by 50% with garden scissors. This appears brutal but the plant recovers in 7–10 days with fresh new growth and resumes flowering prolifically for another 3–4 months. Without this mid-season haircut, some plants will slow production significantly; with it, they flower continuously until November. |
| Self-seeding too widely | Ideal conditions for seed dispersal | Deadhead regularly to prevent seed formation — snip off the fluffy seed heads before they ripen and disperse. This significantly reduces unwanted spread. Alternatively, embrace the wandering habit and accept occasional removal of seedlings from positions where they aren't wanted — they are shallow-rooted and easy to pull out when young. |
Plant Specifications
The six-month daisy that wanders into every crack — making gardens look instantly decades old
Surface sow without covering. Plant in the hottest, driest, most exposed position available. Scatter some seeds into every paving gap. Let it self-seed into walls and steps. Shear back by half in July to renew flowering. Watch it bloom from May to November in every shade of white to deep wine-pink simultaneously. Let it wander. Encourage it. The garden will thank you.
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