Bushy aster is a native perennial wildflower in the daisy family (Asteraceae) native to eastern and central North America, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and found along roadsides, prairies, wetlands and sandhills. The plants can be variable in appearance depending on the area, and there are several subspecies. The Genus name comes from the Greek symph , which means "coming together," and trichum , which means "hair. The specific epithet is Latin for "bushy." The plant will grow up to 3+ feet tall and 1.6 feet wide when blooming. They prefer full sun to partial shade in dry to moist, well-drained sandy soils. Propagation is by seed or division. The plant spreads by rhizomes. Bushy aster blooms in late summer through fall or later, depending on the growing zone, on 1- to 3-foot stems that are erect to sprawling. The flowers occur in airy clusters of white, pale blue, lavender or pink ray florets surrounding a center of yellow disc flowers. The lower leaves are in a basal rosette, and alternate leaves are on the flowering stems. Achenes follow the flowers with tufts of white hair on the seed for wind dispersal. This plant is appropriate for the home garden and does well in a mixed native perennial border or groups. It provides late-season flowers for pollinators. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Deer browsing, powdery mildew, and leaf spot can occur. More information on Symphyotrichum .
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); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Moist | Occasionally Dry
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 1 ft. 6 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Ascending; Spreading
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Green; White
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate; Rosulate
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Lanceolate; Linear
Leaf margin
Entire; Serrate
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Basal leaves are in a rosette of about 4-5 inches across. Stem leaves are sessile (clasping), rigid and alternate with either smooth and rolled margins or slightly toothed.
Flower color
Pink; Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy; White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Panicle
Flower shape
Radial
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Flowers occur in open clusters from late summer through fall or winter depending on the growing zone. The 1/2-inch individual flowers have 15 to 25 white but sometimes pale pink or blue rays surrounding a yellow center of 10 to 20 disc florets.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit color
Gold/Yellow; Pink
Fruit type
Achene
Fruit size
< 1 inch long
Fruit detail
Achenes have seeds with long white hairs for wind dispersal. Displays from fall to winter
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Green
Stem detail
Stems may be straight, sprawling or ascending with a smooth green stem.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Eastern Canada and U.S.A.
Distribution
AL , AR , CT , DC , DE , FL , GA , IA , IL , IN , KY , LA , MA , MD , ME , MI , MO , MS , NC , NH , NJ , NY , OH , OK , PA , RI , SC , TN , TX , VA , WI , WV Canada: NB , ON
Wildlife value
Members of the genus Symphyotrichum support the following specialized bees: Andrena (Callandrena s.l.) asteris, Andrena (Callandrena s.l.) asteroides, Andrena (Cnemidandrena) hirticincta, Andrena (Cnemidandrena) nubecula, Andrena (Callandrena s.l.) placata, Andrena (Callandrena s.l.) simplex, and Colletes simulans.
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies; Pollinators; Small Mammals; Songbirds