Sivinsk’s Erigeron: A Rare Southwestern Treasure You Probably Can’t Grow
Meet Sivinsk’s erigeron (Erigeron sivinskii), one of nature’s rarest wildflowers hiding in the American Southwest. While most gardeners are familiar with common fleabanes that pop up everywhere, this particular member of the daisy family is so rare that you’re more likely to spot a unicorn in your backyard than find this plant for sale at your local nursery.
What Makes This Plant So Special?
Sivinsk’s erigeron is a perennial forb – essentially a soft-stemmed wildflower that comes back year after year. Like other plants in the Erigeron genus, it belongs to the vast daisy family and likely produces the characteristic small, daisy-like flowers that make fleabanes so charming. But here’s where things get serious: this little plant carries a Global Conservation Status of S2, meaning it’s imperiled.
In plant conservation terms, S2 status is pretty dramatic. We’re talking about a species with typically only 6 to 20 known locations and somewhere between 1,000 to 3,000 individual plants left in the wild. That’s it. In the entire world.
Where Does It Live?
This rare beauty calls the southwestern United States home, specifically Arizona and New Mexico. It’s perfectly adapted to life in these arid landscapes, though the exact growing conditions it prefers remain something of a mystery due to its scarcity.
Should You Try to Grow It?
Here’s the thing about rare plants – they’re rare for good reasons. While Sivinsk’s erigeron would theoretically make a fascinating addition to a native plant garden, there are some pretty compelling reasons why you shouldn’t go hunting for it:
- Availability: You won’t find this at garden centers, and reputable native plant nurseries won’t carry it due to its conservation status
- Ethics: Any plants you might encounter would likely be wild-collected, which further threatens the species
- Growing challenges: With so few plants in existence, we simply don’t know enough about its specific needs to grow it successfully
- Legal considerations: Collecting rare plants from the wild may be illegal in many areas
Better Alternatives for Your Garden
Instead of chasing this botanical unicorn, consider these more available native Erigeron species that can give you similar appeal:
- Spreading fleabane (Erigeron divergens): A southwestern native that’s much more available and adaptable
- Desert fleabane (Erigeron concinnus): Another regional native with charming small flowers
- Annual fleabane (Erigeron annuus): While not as rare, it provides similar ecological benefits
These alternatives will give you the delicate beauty of the fleabane family while supporting local pollinators and respecting conservation efforts.
The Bigger Picture
Sivinsk’s erigeron serves as a perfect reminder of why native plant conservation matters. Every rare species represents millions of years of evolution and adaptation to specific environments. While we can’t all grow this particular treasure, we can support conservation efforts and choose other native plants that help preserve biodiversity.
Sometimes the most beautiful thing about a plant is simply knowing it exists somewhere out there, quietly surviving in its native landscape. In the case of Sivinsk’s erigeron, that’s probably where it belongs – wild, free, and hopefully recovering in the desert landscapes of the Southwest.
So next time you’re planning your native garden, remember this little rarity and let it inspire you to choose plants that are both beautiful and responsible. Your local ecosystem (and this rare fleabane) will thank you for it.
