Flat-Topped White Aster is a native wildflower found in the mountains of NC in moist fields, thickets, and the border of swamps. It can be found from Canada south to FL. The clusters of white composite flowers appear in July-Oct. This plant prefers a slightly acidic sandy loam that is moist to occasionally wet in full sun to partial shade. Use in groups for best effect around water sites, in naturalized meadows or pollinator gardens. It will naturalize by self-seeding and underground rhizomes.
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) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Moist | Occasionally Wet
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Lanceolate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
3-6-inch long and .5-1 inch wide lance-shaped or elliptical leaves taper at each end are toothless, short-stalked to stalkless and short-ciliate along their margins. Lower leaves are scale-like and upper leaves uniform in size.
Flower color
Purple/Lavender; White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Head; Panicle
Flower shape
Radial
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
.5-.75 in. flower heads in a flattish cluster. 10-15 white petals tinged with purple that tends to curve downward or backwards and surround the central yellow disc flowers. Blooms July-Oct.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Achene
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
1/8 inch long achenes with sparse hairs are distributed by the wind
Stem color
Gold/Yellow; Green; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
Reddish to greenish-yellow unbranched upright stems
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
E. Canada to U.S.A.
Distribution
AL , CT , DC , DE , GA , IA , IL , IN , KY , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , NC , NH , NJ , NY , OH , PA , RI , SC , TN , VA , VT , WI , WV
Wildlife value
Larval host to the Pearly Crescent, Harris Checkerspot. Attracts pollinators.