Woodland aster, is a native herbaceous perennial in the Asteraceae (daisy) family. Native to the Eastern United States this wildlfower typically grows in dry open woodlands, primarily in Appalachian mountain areas. Woodland aster can grow to a mounding height of 3 feet and spread vigorously by rhizomes reaching its full growth in 2 to 5 years. It prefers partial shade with 3-4 hrs of sun daily in average, medium to dry well-drained soils. It is shade, deer, and drought tolerant. Shearing the plant to 6 inches in early summer produces a more compact plant. Propagate this plant by division in the spring. The showy white flowers appear in clusters dancing above the heart shaped leaves in late summer to fall and are a favorite of bees and butterflies. The seeds that follow the flower are eaten by birds and small mammals and provide a valuable fall and winter food source. The center of the flowers (disk flowers) change from yellow to red upon pollination. Use this plant in open shade gardens, woodland areas, native, pollintor, or cottage gardens. It is a tough native plant that blooms in the shade, and that can be hard to find!. This plant was selected as the 2008 NC Wildflower of the Year , a program managed by the North Carolina Botanical Garden with some financial support from the Garden Club of North Carolina. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: This plant has some susceptibility to powdery mildew so give it good air circulation. Aster wilt can also be an occasional problem, particularly if plants are grown in poorly-drained clay soils. mproving drainage and good air circulation helps reduce the incidence of foliar diseases. VIDEO: Part of the Native Plant Picks series from the North Carolina Sea Grant led Coastal Landscapes Initiative .
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.
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good 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. 6 in. - 2 ft. 6 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Erect; Mounding
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Cordate; Lanceolate; Ovate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf feel
Rough
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
The basal leaves are ovate with cordate bases (heart-shaped) up to 2.5 inches long 2 inches wide. They wither when the plant blooms. The lower stem leaves are up to 8 inches long with either cordate or rounded bases. The upper leaves are sessile and oval to lance-shaped. They all have serrated margins. Undersides of the leaves have hairs.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Green; Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy; White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Corymb
Flower shape
Radial
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Small but abundant flowers with white rays and yellow disk centers that change to red upon pollination that appear in flat-topped, terminal clusters with 6-10 white petals. Its bracts are whitish with green tips. Flowers are 1/2 to 1 inch across. Blooms earlier than most Asters, from August to October.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit color
Brown/Copper
Fruit type
Achene
Fruit detail
Oval brown achenes with stiff bristle hairs. Displays from September to November.
Stem color
Green; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
zigzag stems up to 2.5' tall are green to reddish.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Eastern Canada and United States
Wildlife value
Notable for attracting wildlife. Seeds edible by birds and small mammals. Host plant for the Pearl Crescent butterfly. Flowers are attractive to bees and butterflies.
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies; Pollinators; Small Mammals; Songbirds