Hairy chaffhead is a native wildflower, herbaceous perennial in the daisy family (Asteraceae). It is typically found in meadows and flat wooded areas from North Carolina south to Florida and is fairly common in the southeastern coastal counties of North Carolina, but uncommon to the west and inland to the Sandhills. It has a single, densely hairy stem from which it derives its common name. The specific epithet is Latin, referring to the arrangement of the flowers. Hairy chaffhead grows quickly to a height of 1 to 4 feet and can form large colonies. It grows best in moist to wet sandy soils in full to partial sun. Propagation is from seed or division. The showy dense clusters of pinkish to purplish flowers appear in summer to fall and provide nectar to pollinators. The basal leaves are up to 6 inches long, with much smaller, sessile leaves ascending the stem. Use hairy chafhead along streams or ponds, in naturalized areas or in a butterfly garden. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
NC region
Coastal; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 1 ft. 6 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Texture
Fine
Foliage
Semi-evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Lanceolate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Smooth
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The basal rosette of oblong to elliptical leaves that vary in length from 1 to 8 inches with a whitish midrib. Stem leaves are significantly smaller, lanceolate and sessile.
Flower color
Pink; Purple/Lavender
Flower value
Long Bloom Season; Showy
Flower form
Panicle
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Blooms from early summer into the fall and winter. Individual flowers are small, but the sheer number of blooms makes for an impressive display where large colonies occur. They are disc flowers with no rays and pinkish to purplish in color.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit color
Black
Fruit type
Achene
Stem color
Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
Stems and flower stalks are reddish-purple, covered in hairs and sticky to the touch.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Southeastern U.S.A.
Distribution
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South and North Carolina
Wildlife value
Attracts bees and other pollinators.
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies; Pollinators
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Achene
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Meadow; Naturalized Area
Landscape theme
Cottage Garden; Native Garden
Design feature
Small groups
Garden tags
#NC native #Audubon #herbaceous perennial #flowers early summer #showy flowers #long bloom time #woodland #wildflower #butterfly garden #full sun #summer flowers #fall flowers