Erigeron karvinskianus Profusion

Erigeron karvinskianus 'Profusion' Mexican Fleabane / Wall Daisy 'Profusion'

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. 'Profusion' is the RHS Award of Garden Merit perennial that makes gardens look instantly established by colonising every available crack in paving and mortar joint in walls with effortless cottage garden charm.

This is the master of 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 the white-to-pink progression. The effect is a vintage watercolour wash — no two parts of the plant quite the same colour, the whole harmonious and indefinably romantic. It blooms from May until November (sometimes into December in mild years) without ever stopping or even pausing. Holds the prestigious RHS Award of Garden Merit and is also a wonderful RHS Plant for Pollinators, providing one of the longest seasons of bee food in the cottage garden.

A note on growing

Erigeron seeds are tiny, like dust — handle with care. Sow indoors from February to May. Surface-sow onto moist compost — do not cover, the seeds need light to germinate. Press gently for seed-to-compost contact. Keep warm (15–20°C) and moist; germination takes 14–30 days. Because the seedlings are tiny, they can be fiddly to prick out — many growers sow a pinch of seeds directly into a module plug and plant the whole clump out later as a single establishment, which works perfectly well.

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.

Mid-summer trim: if the mound begins to look tired, brown-centred, or less floriferous in July, shear back by 50% with garden scissors. It recovers rapidly with fresh growth and a renewed flush of flowers continuing until November.

Where it shines

The most effective use is the most counter-intuitive: scatter seeds directly into the cracks between paving stones, press seeds into mortar joints of old walls, sow into gravel paths. Erigeron 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. The "always been there" quality is the plant's signature gift. Also outstanding at the front of cottage borders, in terracotta pots (spilling over the edges), in rock gardens, and as a soft ground cover at the front of mixed plantings.

Self-seeds profusely in suitable conditions — this is desirable in most gardens, as 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 where unwanted.

Plant alongside

For vertical wall-planting partnerships, combine 'Profusion' with creeping Gypsophila (if stocked) — the daisy-like Erigeron and starry Gypsophila weave together into a romantic, pink-and-white frothy cascade lasting all summer. For low-growing cottage drifts, pair with Alyssum 'Carpet of Snow', Alyssum 'Royal Carpet' and Candytuft 'Crown Mixed' for a sweet-scented carpet of cottage colour. For rockeries, combine with Common Thyme.