Boltonia

Boltonia asteroides (bol-TO-nee-uh ass-ter-OY-dees)

Family: Asteraceae Native Herbaceous (3-15 ft)

False chamomile is a perennial in the daisy family typically found in roadside ditches or marshes and other wet sites in the eastern U.S.A. The species name " asterodies " is Latin for resembling asters. Plant in the full sun in well drained soil. Growing in wet sites may require staking due to the plant tending to flop. On the other hand, planting in dry soils will result in shorter plants and less showy blooms. Cutting back the stems in the spring, before flowering, will give you a shorter plant that will require less support. The blooms of this plant typically have white petals with a dome-shaped yellow center disk. Others may have pink-tinged, or violet rays. It can bloom from late summer until frost. This plant will spread through creeping rhizomes or spread by seed. Use it in a cottage or cutting garden, native plant garden, or in the back of a border with brighter green leaves to contrast with its gray foliage. This plant tolerates clay soils. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious pests. Powdery mildew can be an issue. It can be somewhat weedy so consider some of the cultivars like 'Snowbank' which is more compact and less aggressive. Plants may need staking.

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ Reconciled to full toolbox: matched by slug to slug 'boltonia-asteroides'. Identity (id/common/scientific name) preserved from the original 87-plant Hunnicutt set; attribute data refreshed from the 51-attribute toolbox scrape.