Symphyotrichum dumosum
rice button aster, rice button american-aster, white bushy aster, long-stalked aster
Family
Asteraceae
Leaf Arrangement
alternate
Leaf Attachment
sessile
Leaf Margin
entire, revolute
Leaf Type
simple
Leaf Shape
linear, elliptic, lanceolate, subulate
Growth Form
forb
Flower Color
blue, purple, white
Flower Month
August - November
Height (meters)
0.3 - 1.5
Milky Sap
No
Armed/Unarmed
Unarmed
Origin
native
Lifespan
perennial
Wetland Class
FAC
Field Characters
Many flowered, but each tips a separate branch with its own leaflets and they are spread along branches, not clustered at major branch ends. The flowers therefore look evenly distributed, not densely clustered as in most asters.
Animal Use
This plant is a special value to native bees.
Habitat
Sandy open sites, occasionally marshy ground. Also in loamy prairies, old fields, woodlands, meadows, and pastures.