Eurybia divaricata
An eastern North American native, shade-loving, herbaceous perennial with a clump-forming habit and dark wiry stems, bearing late-season white flowers from September to December in almost any soil, and attracting pollinators.
Common Names
White Wood Aster, White Woodland Aster, Common White Heart-leaved Aster, Common White Heartleaf Aster
Summary
Eurybia divaricata, commonly called White Wood Aster, is a native perennial of eastern North America that grows in woodlands, woodland edges, and dry open woods. It forms upright, rhizomatous colonies and typically reaches about 0.3–1.0 m tall with a similar width, bearing numerous small white daisy-like flowers with yellow centers from late summer into fall; stems are dark, wiry, and zigzag, and leaves are heart-shaped with coarse teeth.
It tolerates partial to full shade and a range of soils from dry to mesic, thriving in moist to well-drained conditions and hardy in USDA zones 3–8. It can self-seed and is commonly propagated by division or seed, forming groundcover-like masses over time; nectar and pollen attract bees and butterflies, supporting pollinator habitats. It is deer- and rabbit-resistant and well suited for shaded borders, woodland gardens, or naturalized plantings.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
12-24 inches
Spread
12-24 inches
Hardiness Zones
Zones 3-8
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally partial shade.
Soil Type
Well-drained soil, slightly acidic to neutral
Soil Drainage
Well-drained soil
Soil pH
6.8-7.2, neutral to slightly acidic soils
Bloom Color
White
Bloom Time
Fall
Foliage Color
Green
Fall Foliage Color
Green
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Growth Rate
Vigorous
Seasons of Interest
Spring, Summer, Fall
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Division
Attracts Wildlife
Bees and butterflies, other pollinators include moths, wasps, and beetles, seeds eaten by songbirds in winter, seed fluff provides nesting material.
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- (L.) G.L.Nesom
- Publication
- Phytologia 77(3): 259 (1995)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Asterales
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Genus
- Eurybia
Synonyms
Aster elatus Aster claytonii Aster corymbosus var. corymbosus Aster divaricatus Aster excavatus Biotia corymbosa var. alata Aster corymbosus var. alatus Aster carmesinus Biotia macrophylla var. divaricata Biotia corymbosa var. corymbosa Aster claytonii var. claytonii Aster flexilis Aster stilettiformis Aster tenebrosus Linosyris divaricata Aster castaneus Aster boykinii Aster fischeri Aster claytoni