Barrens silky aster is a perennial plant native to the central and southeastern U.S.A. in the Asteraceae (daisy) family. It is found in meadows, open woodlands, savannahs, pastures, ravines, ditches, and disturbed sites. Plant it in partial shade in dry soil. It withstands a wide variety of soil types. It has showy blue purple flowers that appear in the fall. This plant easily self-seeds or it can be grown by seeding but it does better with cold and moist seed stratification. It can also be divided in the early spring or late fall or stem cuttings can be rooted in well-draining medium when there is new tender growth. 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.
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil drainage
Occasionally Dry
NC region
Mountains
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Leaf color
Gray/Silver; Green; White
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Elliptical
Leaf margin
Entire
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Simple elliptical clasping sessile alternate leaves with entire margins. Leaves appear whitish because of many tiny appressed hairs.
Flower color
Blue; Pink; Purple/Lavender
Flower value
Long Bloom Season; Showy
Flower form
Head
Flower shape
Saucer
Flower detail
Showy blue purple flowers appear from September-November.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Stem color
Brown/Copper
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Central and southeastern U.S.A.
Distribution
AL , AR , FL , GA , KY , LA , MS , TN , TX , VA
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.