FIELD ID CHARACTERISTICS:
This species has numerous and long branches in the flowering array, and the bracts beneath the white or lavender petals are short, linear, and not curving outward, but pressed against the base of the flower.
Description: Weedy, medium height, erect, perennial aster with white flowers; grows to 1.5 m.
Leaves: Alternate, smooth-margined leaves, very narrow, longer below flowering branches and shorter on flowering branches. Stems and leaf undersides lack hairs.
Flowers/Fruit: Small, daisy-like flowers, 1.25 to 2 cm wide, with about 14 to 20 narrow white petals and yellow or reddish centers; white or lavender petals curling under on older flowers. Bracts on flower undersides have green midribs and are pressed against the flower base. Flowers typically arranged all on one side of a branch. Fruits are small dry seeds with clusters of hairs for wind-borne dispersal. Flowers and fruits late August to October.
Habit and Range: This weedy aster is found statewide in old fields, disturbed areas, fencerows, in dry or moist conditions, but it is especially found in open, moist edges of ponds, streams, marshes, and ditches.
Taxonomic Note: Most plants of this species in North Carolina are Symphyotrichum dumosum var. dumosum. Also called rice button aster.
COMMON CONFUSIONS:
Symphyotrichum dumosum (bushy aster) is easily confused with other Symphyotrichum species, especially S. pilosum (frost aster), which is profusely hairy on leaves and stems and the flowers have green bracts just beneath the flowers with tips that curve outward. S. pilosum also generally has more petals.
Click here to view Symphyotrichum pilosum.
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