Plant Index


 
 
 
 

Symphyotrichum concolor

Symphyotrichum concolor (L.) G.L. Nesom

eastern silvery aster, eastern silver aster, eastern silvery american-aster

Synonym(s): Aster concolor, Aster concolor var. simulatus, Aster plumosus, Aster simulatus, Lasallea concolor
Symphyotrichum concolor (Eastern Silvery Aster)
Image ID: 15235
Image by: Sorrie, Bruce A.
Image Collection: NCBG Digital Library

PLANT INDEX

ID_PLANT: SYCO3
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Symphyotrichum concolor
Include in WOTAS: 1
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2019-05-10

GENUS INDEX

GENUS CODE: SYMPH4
GENUS SCIENTIFIC: Symphyotrichum
GENUS AUTHORITY: Nees
GENUS COMMON: Aster
GENUS SUMMARY: A genus of about 90 species, of the Americas and e. Asia, most diverse in our area.
GENUS IDENTIFICATION:
GENUS REFERENCES: Brouillet et al. FNA (2006b); Brouillet & Semple (1981); Cronquist (1980)=SE; Jones (1980a, 1980b, 1984); Jones & Young (1983); R. Jones (1983)=Z; R. Jones (1992); Lamboy (1987, 1992)=Y; Nesom (1994)=X; Nesom (2005b)=V; Nesom (1993a, 1993b, 1994, 1997); Campbell & Seymour (2014)=J; Noyes & Rieseberg (1999); Semple & Brouillet (1980a, 1980b); Semple, Chmielewski, & Lane (1989); Semple, Heard, & Xiang (1996); Sundberg (2004)=Q; Reveal & Keener (1981); Warners & Laughlin (1999); Xiang & Semple (1996). Key to subgenus Astropolium based on Nesom (2005b).

FAMILY INDEX

FAMILY CODE: ASTERA
FAMILY SCIENTIFIC: Asteraceae
FAMILY AUTHORITY: Dumortier 1822 or COMPOSITAE Giseke 1792
FAMILY COMMON: Aster Family
FAMILY SUMMARY: A family of about 1500-1700 genera and 20,000-25,000 species, shrubs, herbs, trees, and vines, cosmopolitan in distribution.
FAMILY REFERENCE: Cronquist (1980)=SE throughout family treatment.

NCBG DESCRIPTIVES

INTRO: Erect to ascending perennial of dry longleaf pine sandhills, Piedmont woodlands, forest edges and road banks.
STEMS: Stems 1-several, often leaning on other plants, unbranched, silky-hairy.
LEAVES: Leaves alternate, crowded, sessile, elliptic, 1/2-1 1/2 in. long (reduced upward), covered with silvery-silky close-pressed hairs.
INFLORESCENCE:
FLOWERS: Composite flowers (heads) in a narrow panicle or cylindrical raceme to about 8 in. long; heads about 1 in. wide, consisting of 8-18 blue to violet (rarely pink) narrow ray florets encircling a center disk of many yellow tubular florets. Several series of hairy, green-tipped bracts closely surround the bell-shaped to cylindric base of each head.
FRUITS: Fruit a tiny, white-tufted achene.
COMMENTS:
HEIGHT: 1 1/2-4 ft.

DURATION: Perennial
HABIT: Herb

LEAF ARRANGEMENT: Alternate, Basal
LEAF COMPLEXITY: Simple
LEAF RETENTION:

FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY: Mixed
BLOOM TIME: Sep-Oct
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
x x x x

BLOOM COLOR: Blue to violet or lavender
White Red Pink Orange Yellow Green Blue Lavender Purple Violet Brown Not Applicable
x x x

FRUITING PERIOD:

DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE: Disturbed, Dry forests, Sandhills, Woods margins
NATIVE RANGE: eastern United States

HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text: This southeastern native aster provides a delightful profusion of lavender-blue flowers in the fall garden. Each plant produces multiple stems, each with dozens of flowers, so the overall effect is very showy. For a colorful garden well past Labor Day, this is a great perennial to include in your garden. This aster blooms profusely when given at least a half-day of sun. Full sun is ideal. Eastern silvery aster is an excellent native plant for butterflies. 1996 N.C. Wildflower of the Year.

Bloom Table Text:

NCBG Location:

Cultural Notes:

SOIL MOISTURE: Dry, Average
LIGHT EXPOSURE: Sun, Part Shade, Shade
MINIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 5
MAXIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 9
GERMINATION CODE: 2
WILDLIFE VALUE: Bee Friendly, Butterfly Friendly
DEER RESISTANCE:

GRIM COLLECTIONS

Coll_id Project Collection date Collector Action
229 HORT 2009-11-16 Poythress View
1283 HORT 2005-12-14 Bryan View
1393 HORT 2006-11-13 Bryan View
1844 HORT 2006-01-01 Bryan View
2713 NPMD 2022-11-29 Marzolf View
2826 NPMD 11-15-2023 Meng View
2830 NPMD 2023-12-05 Hofmann View

GRIM ACCESSIONS

acc_id acc_num acc_dt coll_id Action
230 2011-0058 2011-04-05 229 View
4694 1992-0850 View
6473 1996-0095 View
6631 1996-0269 View
9234 2015-0051 2020-05-08 0 View

GRIM PLANTINGS

plt_num acc_id loc_num pers_num inst_dt Action
475 230 29 NCBG staff 2011-03-29 View
476 230 31 NCBG staff 2011-03-29 View
477 230 32 NCBG staff 2011-03-29 View
478 230 32 Fache 2011-05-17 View
479 230 19 NCBG staff 2011-05-12 View
480 230 17 NCBG staff 2011-05-12 View
7023 4694 200 NCBG staff 1993-03-01 View
9157 6473 146 NCBG staff 1996-01-01 View
9384 6631 115 NCBG staff 1967-01-01 View
12164 230 31 Mixon 2012-03-28 View
12351 9234 159 Liloia 2015-04-07 View
12494 9234 20 Liloia 0000-00-00 View
12795 9234 17 Liloia 0000-00-00 View
12812 0 15 Liloia 0000-00-00 View
12823 0 18 Liloia 0000-00-00 View
12859 0 21 Liloia 0000-00-00 View
12961 0 198 MacIntyre 0000-00-00 View
13141 9234 16 Liloia 0000-00-00 View

USDA PLANTS DATABASE

USDA Symbol: SYCO3
USDA Common Name: Eastern Silver Aster
Native Status: L48 (N)
Distribution: USA (AL, DC, DE, FL, GA, KY, LA, MA, MD, MS, NC, NJ, NY, RI, SC, TN, VA)
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Forb/herb

WEAKLEY FLORA

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Symphyotrichum concolor var. concolor
COMMON NAME: Eastern Silvery Aster
SYNONYMY: [= FNA; < Aster concolor Linnaeus - C, F, G, RAB, S, SE, W; < S. concolor (Linnaeus) G.L. Nesom - K, Va, WH3, X; < Virgulus concolor (Linnaeus) Reveal & Keener; = Symphyotrichum concolor ssp. concolor - Haines (2010); < S. concolor var. concolor - WH3]
PHENOLOGY: Sep-Oct.
HABITAT: Sandhills, Piedmont woodlands, forest edges, roadbanks.
COMMENTS: MA and NY south to s. FL, west to LA, inland less commonly to TN and KY.
RANGE MAP: Symphyotrichum concolor var. concolor.png

Key to Map Symbols
ABOUT FAMILY (Weakley Flora)
Asteraceae Dumortier 1822 or COMPOSITAE Giseke 1792 (Aster Family)
SUMMARY: A family of about 1500-1700 genera and 20,000-25,000 species, shrubs, herbs, trees, and vines, cosmopolitan in distribution.
REFERENCE: Cronquist (1980)=SE throughout family treatment.
ABOUT GENUS (Weakley Flora)
Symphyotrichum Nees (Aster)
SUMMARY: A genus of about 90 species, of the Americas and e. Asia, most diverse in our area.
REFERENCE: Brouillet et al. FNA (2006b); Brouillet & Semple (1981); Cronquist (1980)=SE; Jones (1980a, 1980b, 1984); Jones & Young (1983); R. Jones (1983)=Z; R. Jones (1992); Lamboy (1987, 1992)=Y; Nesom (1994)=X; Nesom (2005b)=V; Nesom (1993a, 1993b, 1994, 1997); Campbell & Seymour (2014)=J; Noyes & Rieseberg (1999); Semple & Brouillet (1980a, 1980b); Semple, Chmielewski, & Lane (1989); Semple, Heard, & Xiang (1996); Sundberg (2004)=Q; Reveal & Keener (1981); Warners & Laughlin (1999); Xiang & Semple (1996). Key to subgenus Astropolium based on Nesom (2005b).

HERBARIUM RESOURCES

SERNEC: Find Symphyotrichum concolor in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)
UNC SERNEC: Find Symphyotrichum concolor in University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)

WEB RESOURCES

USDA: Find Symphyotrichum concolor in USDA Plants
NPIN: Find Symphyotrichum concolor in NPIN Database
FNA: Find Symphyotrichum concolor in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Symphyotrichum concolor

IMAGE USE RECORDS

ID IMAGE: 15235 - Primary Image FloraQuest Plant Detail Page (Landscape Preferred)
ID IMAGE1: 19481 - Primary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE2: 0 - Secondary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE3: 18927 - Primary Image Plant Sale Sign (Landscape Only)
ID IMAGE4: 0 - Primary Image New Plant Sale Label (Portrait Only)

From the Image Gallery


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Image ID: 15236

Image ID: 30678

Image ID: 30679
32 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

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