Heath Aster

Plant Profile
FYUSE 3D Image	Common Name: Heath Aster Other Names: White Aster, White Prairie Aster Species Name: Symphyotrichum ericoides Plant Type: Forb Family Name: Asteraceae, Sunflower Family


Plant Facts
Origin	Native
Duration	Perennial
Distribution in the U.S.	Across the U.S., except extreme southeast
Distribution in Oklahoma	Throughout; greatest populations in the western two-thirds

ID Characteristics

Field Identification Characteristics
Vegetative
- Small narrow leaves attached directly to branches
- Many large branches above, no branching below
- Main stem void of leaves
Floral
- Flowers white, blue, or violet with yellow center
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
- Leaf Type: Simple
- Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
- Leaf Shape: Linear to oblong
- Stipules: Absent
Floral Characteristics
- Petal Number: 8-20
- Flower Color: White (rarely blue or purple) with yellow centers
- Flower Timing: August-November
- Fruit Type: Achene


Habitat/Ecology
Soil Type	Various dry soils
Habitat	Upland prairie, old fields, waste areas and edges of open woods
Successional Stage	Early; can be found in later stages