The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution, and the highest diversity occurs in North America.

[11] The generic name Erigeron is derived from the Ancient Greek words ἦρι (êri) "early in the morning" and γέρων (gérōn) "old man", a reference to the appearance of the white hairs of the fruit soon after flowering[12] or possibly alluding to the early appearance of the seed heads.

The pappus (=modified calyx, forming a crown) is shorter than in Aster and consists of bristles.

Many species are used as ornamental plants, with numerous named cultivars such as 'Wayne Roderick', 'Charity', 'Foersters Liebling', and 'Dunkelste aller' ("The darkest of all" with semi-double, deep-violet flower heads).

[2] Selected species include: The following names are not accepted as of 2020[update] in Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew's Plants of the World Online database:[2]